1. POLITICS OF ESTONIA
Created by: Benedict Gombocz

2. Estonia in brief
 Location: Northern Europe, bordering
Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea, and Gulf
of Riga.
 Official name: Republic of Estonia
(Eesti Vabariik)
 Capital (and largest city): Tallinn
 Official language: Estonian*
 Recognized regional languages:
Swedish
 Demonym: Estonian
*Võro and Seto in southern Estonia are
spoken alongside Estonian; Russian
remains unofficial language in Ida-
Virumaa and Tallinn, owing to Soviet
program advancing mass
immigration of urban industrial
workers from Russia in post-war era.

3. Geography of Estonia
 Estonia is bordered by
Latvia (343 km) to north
and Lake Peipus and
Russian Federation to east
(338.6 km).
 Across Baltic Sea, Sweden
lies in west and Finland
lies in north.

4. Physical Map of Estonia

5. Religion in Estonia
 Less than one-third of
Estonia’s population
declared themselves as
believers in a religion; of
those, most are Protestant
(Lutheran) and Russian
minority is Eastern
Orthodox.
 According to 2000
census, only 29.2% of
population regarded
themselves to be affiliated
with a religion.

6. St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox
Church and Baltic Cathedral, Tallinn

7. Estonia’s membership in world
organizations
 Member of European
Union, Eurozone, NA
TO and OECD.

8. Government of Estonia
 Government (valitsus):
Parliamentary republic
 President (Eesti Vabariigi
President): Toomas Hendrik
Ilves (independent until 1
January 2007; now SDE)
 Prime Minister (Eesti
Vabariigi peaminister):
Andrus Ansip (RE)
 Parliament speaker: Ene
Ergma (IRL)
 Current coalition: (RE, IRL)
 Legislature: Riigikogu

9. Riigikogu
 Estonia’s unicameral
parliament, through which all big
state-related questions pass.
 Apart from approving
legislation, it designates high
officials, including PM and Chief
Justice of the Supreme
Court, and elects (either by
itself, or if necessary, along with
representatives of local
government with broader
electoral college).
 Also approves important foreign
treaties inflicting military and
proprietary
responsibilities, change
laws, and so on; confirms budget
introduced by government as law
and controls executive power.

10. Parliamentary parties
 Estonian Reform Party
(Eesti
Reformierakond, RE)
 Estonian Centre Party
(Eesti Keskerakond, K)
 Union of Pro Patria and
Res Publica (Isamaa ja
Res Publica Liit, IRL)
 Social Democratic Party
(Sotsiaaldemokraatlik
Erakond, SDE)

11. Non-parliamentary parties
 Estonian Christian Democrats (Erakond Eesti Kristlikud
Demokraadid, EEKD) – formerly Estonian People’s Union (Eesti
Kristlik Rahvapartei, EKR)
 Estonian Greens (Erakond Eestimaa Rohelised, EER)
 People’s Union of Estonia (Eestimaa Rahvaliit, ER) – later
blended with Estonian Patriotic Movement (Eesti Rahvuslik
Liikumine, ERL) into Conservative People’s Party of Estonia
 Estonian United Left Party (Eestimaa Ühendatud
Vasakpartei, EUP; Объединённая левая партия
Эстонии, Ob'edinënnaja levaja partija Estonii; OLPE)
 Estonian Independence Party (Eesti Iseseisvuspartei, EIP)
 Russian Party in Estonia (Vene Erakond Eestis, VEE) – blended
into Social Democratic Party on 12 January 2012.

12. Toomas Hendrik Ilves
 Born 26 December 1953 in
Stockholm, Sweden; his parents were
Estonian fugitives.
 Fourth and current President of Estonia
since 9 October 2006.
 Ex-diplomat and journalist; served as
leader of Social Democratic Party during
1990s and subsequently as member of
European Parliament.
 Was elected to presidency by electoral
college on 23 September 2006; he was
sworn in on 9 October 2006.
 Was raised in the United States in
Leonia, New Jersey, where he graduated
from Leonia High School in 1972 as
valedictorian.
 Obtained bachelor’s degree in psychology
from Columbia University in 1976 and
master’s degree in same area from
University of Pennsylvania two years later.
 Other than his native Estonian, he speaks
fluent English, German and Spanish.

13. Andrus Ansip
 Born 1 October 1956 in Tartu.
 Current PM of Estonia since 12 April 2005;
also current chairman of market liberal
Estonian Reform Party.
 Graduated from University of Tartu with
degree in Chemistry in 1979.
 Went on to work as engineer at Tartu State
University between 1979 and 1983 (with two-
year break for required military service).
 Was later Instructor in Industry Department
and Head of the Organizational Department
of the Tartu District Committee of Estonian
Communist Party between 1986 and 1988.
 Has participated in several banking and
investment ventures.
 Has been Member of Board of Directors of
the People’s Bank of Tartu (Estonian:
Rahvapank), Chairman of the Board of
Livonia Privatization IF, and CEO of
Investment Fund Broker Ltd. (Estonian:
Fondiinvesteeringu Maakler AS).
 Was also Chairman of the board for Radio
Tartu.

14. Ene Ergma
 Born 29 February 1944 in Rakvere.
 Member of Riigikogu and scientist;
current Parliament speaker.
 Member of Union of Pro Patria and Res
Publica; was member of Res Publicia prior
to merge with Pro Patria.
 Obtained her Diploma cum laude
(B.Sc./M.Sc. equivalent) in astronomy and
Ph.D. in physics and mathematics from
Lomonosov Moscow State University, and
D.Sc. degree from Institute of Space
Research in Moscow.
 Was professor of Astronomy at University
of Tartu (since 1988).
 Was elected to Estonian Academy of
Sciences in 1994.
 Majority of her scientific study has
explored evolution of compact
objects, i.e., white dwarfs and neutron
stars, as well as gamma ray bursts.

15. Estonian Reform Party
 Centre-right, free market liberal party.
 Founded 18 November 1994.
 Led by current PM Andrus Ansip; has 33 members in 101
member Riigikogu, making it biggest party in legislature.
 Has participated in government for all, with exception of
three years, since its founding.
 Founded by then-President of Bank of Estonia Siim Kallas
as break from Pro Patria.
 Secured 19 seats in Riigikogu at 1995 parliamentary
election, making it second-biggest party at that time.
 Substituted Estonian Centre Party in government in autumn
of 1995, remaining there until following year.
 Lost a seat in 1999, but returned to cabinet in coalition with
Pro Patria and People’s Party Moderates; has participated in
different coalitions since, with Andrus Ansip as PM since
2005.
 Gained 31 seats in 2007 parliamentary election, which made
it biggest party for the first time, increasing seat tally again
in 2011 parliamentary election, with 33 seats.
 Has had significant influence, particularly with regards to
Estonia’s free market and low taxes policies, as it has been
in most government coalitions in Estonia since mid-1990s.
 Full member of Liberal International since 1996, having
previously been observer from 1994 to 1996, as well as
European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party.
 Its founder and first chairman, Siim Kallas, has been
Commissioner of European Commission since 2004; Kallas
is also one of the first VPs of Barraso Commission.

16. Estonian Centre Party
 Centrist, social liberal party.
 Member of European Liberal Democrat and
Reform Party.
 With more than 12,000 members, it has
biggest membership of an Estonian party.
 Founded 12 October 1991, on foundation of
Popular Front of Estonia, after several parties
broke away from it; at the time, the party was
known as Rahvakeskerakond (People’s
Centre Party), for purpose of distinguishing it
from smaller Maa-Keskerakond (Rural Centre
Party).
 Its chairman is Edgar Savisaar; vice chairmen
of the party are Kadri Simson and Enn
Eesmaa.
 Asserts that its purpose is creation of strong
middle class in Estonia; claims it is a “middle
class liberal party”, even though it has
reputation of having more policies leaning to
the left, against setting of Estonia’s
economically liberal parties.
 Is by far most popular party among Estonia’s
Russian minority.

17. Union of Pro Patria and Res
Publica
 Liberal-Conservative party.
 Founded 4 June 2006, with merge
of two conservative parties: Pro
Patria Union and Res Publicia.
 Had 32 out of 101 seats in
Riigikogu and one of Estonia’s
seats in European Parliament, up
until 2007 parliamentary election.
 Member of European People’s
Party (EPP), with roughly 8,500
members.
 This blended party comprised of
two individual boards and two party
leaders; this was substituted by
unified board and leader in May
2007.
 Its candidate for PM was Mart
Laar, who became one of the
party’s chairmen.

18. Social Democratic Party
 Social-democratic party, currently led
by Sven Mikser.
 Founded 8 September 1990.
 Member of Party of European
Socialists since 16 May 2003; also
member of Socialist International
since November 1990.
 Previously called People’s Party
Moderates; in this way, it won 6
seats with 7.0% share of vote in
Riigikogu in 2003.
 Most successful party in 2004
European Parliamentary Election in
Estonia, in which it gathered 36.8%
of national vote, giving back 3 MEPs.
 Its youth wing is known as Young
Social Democrats.

19. THE END (Aasta Lõpus)