Does the government operate with openness and transparency? The latter was undermined primarily by the regular provocations of the far-right Conservative Peoples Partys (EKRE) leaders. Gender discrimination is also a problem, particularly in employment, and the gender pay gap is among the highest in the EU, though it has decreased in recent years. The National Electoral Committee is independent and conducts elections impartially. In November 2020, ETV+ accounted for just 1% of all viewing time, compared to 12% for the three most popular Russian channels combined. Following the birth of a child, families are eligible for a one-off benefit of 320, which is topped up by some municipalities. For the 2019 parliamentary elections, 44% of the votes were cast online a marked increase over 2015 when 31% of votes were cast online. Understanding Narva & Identity balticworlds.com Washington, DC 20036. Citizenship issues, however, caused tensions among the country's 500,000-strong Russophone population, most of whom had been denied automatic citizenship rights in 1991. . Disagreements with the EKRE often proved awkward for Ratas, who frequently had to explain and publicly apologize for the EKREs behavior, while seemingly holding his nose when advancing elements of the EKREs political agenda that had been incorporated into the coalition agreement. According to the 2018 European Social Survey, 38% of Estonian respondents reported that they trust others (meaning they scored seven or above on a 10-point scale, where 10 stood for Most people can be trusted), compared to an average of just 22% across the 12 post-communist countries included in the survey. For Marten. Estonia Current Politics - Flags, Maps, Economy, History, Climate F For two days riots raged in Estonia's capital Tallinn. On the other hand, the far-right Conservative Peoples Party (EKRE), which was a junior partner in the governing coalition after 2019, is skeptical of human-caused climate change and even propagated leaving the Paris Climate Accord. Born of a merger between The Baltic Independent and The Baltic Observer in 1996, The Baltic Times continues to bring objective, comprehensive, and timely information to those with an interest in this rapidly developing area of the Baltic Sea region. Estonian governments have also become more efficient by pioneering e-governance and introducing a wide variety of online services to both individuals and businesses. However, more than 5 percent of the population remains stateless and cannot participate in national elections. Franco-German showdown makes EU fiscal rules reform unlikely this year June 16, 2023 5:53 pm CET Estonias foreign trade is highly liberalized, and the country enjoys membership of the WTO (since 1999) and the European Single Market (since 2004). While about 49% of EU citizens trust or tend to trust television, trust is expressed by 61% of Estonians, although this is down from the high of 78% in 2007, according to Eurobarometer (November 2019). Indeed, in the final months of the coalition before its breakup in January 2021, the governments focus seemed to be more on finding ways to arrange parliamentary support for a referendum against same-sex marriage (a pet project of the EKRE, which was endorsed in the coalition agreement) than on the looming second wave of COVID-19 infections. The government has insisted that integration is better served by maintaining a network of Russian-language schools, while increasing the share of instruction in the Estonian language. The countries have failed ratify a border treaty between the two countries after nearly 30 years of Estonian independence. Do the people have the right to organize in different political parties or other competitive political groupings of their choice, and is the system free of undue obstacles to the rise and fall of these competing parties or groupings? The Public Broadcasting Council is composed of members nominated by parliamentary political parties and experts selected by the parliament. Fears that the ethnic divide would develop into a full-blown political cleavage failed to materialize, partly because non-citizens have been granted the right to vote in local elections (though not in national ones). Was the current head of government or other chief national authority elected through free and fair elections? In addition, it has particularly affected the northeastern region which has a large concentration of Russian-speaking minority residents where unemployment reached 12.9% in November (compared to 8.1% nationally). For example, it was decided in 2016 that the Museum of Occupations in Tallinn would be renamed the Vabamu (roughly, the Museum of Freedom). The March 2019 parliamentary elections met democratic standards. The legal and regulatory framework is generally supportive of property rights and entrepreneurship, and residents can freely engage in private business activity in practice. Corruption is a persistent challenge, as is discrimination against ethnic Russians, Roma, LGBT+ people, and others. On 1 May 2004, Estonia was accepted into the European Union. Issues surrounding the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Baltic countries and Estonia's denial of automatic citizenship to persons who settled in Estonia in 1940-1991 and their offspring . U.S. Relations With Estonia - United States Department of State Electoral campaigns tend to be expensive, giving an advantage to parties that benefit from state subsidies (mostly those already strongly represented in parliament) and parties that can attract considerable private donations. However, both court cases were protracted and the charges against Savisaar and one of the defendants in the Port of Tallinn case had to be dropped due to poor health. Electronic chip-embedded ID cards held by nearly all adult Estonians are used extensively, including for securely identifying individuals online. Pushed back into the opposition, EKRE became the most popular party at the end of the year. The Estonian constitution bans discrimination based on nationality, race, sex, language, religion, political opinion and social status. The party system was fairly stable after 2003 when Res Publica, a new party, achieved unprecedented success in the parliamentary elections but soon thereafter merged with Pro Patria, an established party. In local elections, lists based on citizen alliances are also allowed to stand. While the ascent of the Center Partys leader Jri Ratas to the office of the prime minister abated the conflicts between national and local governments, some tensions arose between the mayor of Tallinn and the government over measures to curtail the spread of the coronavirus and over some of the Conservative Peoples Partys controversial policy proposals (e.g., the ban on same-sex marriage) that were included in the government coalition agreement. The COVID-19 pandemic saw evidence of increased volunteerism and mutual support in the form of helping to shield elderly and vulnerable people by shopping for groceries and other essentials as well as collecting ICT equipment for children participating in distance learning courses. During the 2008 financial crisis, the budget returned a deficit (-3% of GDP in 2008), but thereafter remained balanced until the COVID-19 pandemic. The government has drafted a law barring outgoing ministers from being appointed to leading positions in companies active in their previous ministerial fields. However, the countrys increased GDP (and the exit of the United Kingdom, a net contributor to the EU budget) means that this assistance will decrease after 2020. Expropriation follows clearly established rules and compensation is based on market values. The rate of COVID-19-related deaths was among the lowest in Europe at the end of 2020. However, the presence of a large number of strategic documents may hinder effective coordination. The country has undergone multiple democratic transfers of power between rival parties following elections over the past three decades, and opposition parties have a strong presence in the parliament. An unstable but democratic parliamentary The share of non-performing loans began to increase after the onset of the 2008/09 global financial crisis and peaked at 5.4%. Apart from the court system, there are two national institutions tasked with protecting civil rights. The Center Partys involvement in the so-called Porto Franco scandal led to the resignation of then prime minister Jri Ratas and the collapse of his Center Partyled governing coalition later that month. The council has occasionally been critical of the governments fiscal prognoses and compliance with the principle of balanced budgets. Estonia is widely seen as an EU member state that is successfully and tenaciously abiding by EU norms although its initial resistance to the European Green Deal in 2019 (see Environmental policy), and the skeptical views on climate change voiced by the leaders and ministers of the Conservative Peoples Party (EKRE) have tarnished this reputation somewhat. Estonia has ranked consistently high on the World Press Freedom Index, placing 14th in 2020 despite some fears of backsliding following the inclusion of the far-right EKRE party in the governing coalition. The central offices tend to dominate the parliamentary groups, which are highly disciplined. The need for increased national funding for socially and economically important projects raises the risk of the state budget coming under increased strain and thus the object of political conflict. Even though the eligibility for some funds has been reduced due to economic growth, the 20212027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) adopted at the end of 2020 should not change the status of Estonia as a net beneficiary. In October 2019, Estonia signed up to the European Unions goal to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 (the European Green Deal) after initially hesitating, along with the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. Gender equality is among the highest in Central and Eastern Europe according to the UNDP Gender Inequality Index. The unemployment insurance benefit is paid for up to one year at an initial replacement rate of 50%, which drops to 40% after 100 days. Democracy Versus Nation Branding in Estonia As a result, the country ranks 14 out of 190 in the reports sub-index on starting a business. On the downside, policymakers often appear to be stubborn and changing ones mind is generally seen as a sign of weakness, which somewhat reduces the scope for policy learning. Forum Encyclopedia of the Nations World Leaders 2003 Estonia Estonia - Political background After centuries of foreign domination by Danes, Germans, Swedes, Poles, and Russians, Estonian leaders declared independence from the Russian empire on 24 February 1918. Why don't more nations hold elections online? Here's how Estonia has PDF Estonia: Current Issues and U.S. Policy - Federation of American Scientists However, in the less than two years in office, the government has managed to introduce a controversial pension reform, reverse the duty hikes on alcohol and fuel, and increase the minimum wage, pensions and benefits. Likewise, many other environmental projects have been funded by auctioning Estonias CO2 quotas. Academic freedom is generally respected. The restrictions on freedom of movement introduced in March 2020 in response to COVID-19 were limited in terms of scope and time, justified, and overall proportional to the risk posed by the pandemic. Estonia: Political Developments and Data in 2021 Reform Party Back in Government. The constitution establishes a 101-seat, unicameral parliament, called the Riigikogu, whose members are elected for four-year terms using proportional representation in multimember constituencies. Estonia has been ranked among the most credible countries in Central and Eastern Europe by international credit rating agencies. Regulations are enforced by the Estonian Competition Authority, which has divisions working on competition (including mergers) and regulation (including railways, postal services, heating, energy and water). In the early 1990s, Estonia firmly pursued integration with NATO, the European Union and other Western institutions (e.g., the IMF, WTO and OECD). However, there have been increasing concerns about the influence of online disinformation in recent years, particularly during election campaigns and about the COVID-19 pandemic. The state enjoys a high degree of legitimacy among both majority and minority ethnic groups. Fact Sheet Bureau of Political-Military Affairs November 2, 2022 The United States and Estonia are strong allies and partners. There have been no extralegal forces or immediate threats to territorial integrity since the early 1990s when there was a short-lived and localized risk that the northeastern part of the country (inhabited mostly by Russian-speakers) might secede to Russia. Some of the rules introduced by the government in its attempts to curtail the spread of the coronavirus (e.g., requirements to wear face masks in indoor public spaces) have been challenged by the chancellor of justice because of ambiguity or a lack of motivation. Furthermore, to promote participation in civil society organizations, the government has created the National Foundation for Civil Society (partially funded by Switzerland) and the Active Citizens Fund (financed by the European Economic Area and Norway Grants framework), which regularly awards grants to NGOs. Already by 1988, Estonia enjoyed a fairly free public sphere, with a number of non-communist political organizations mobilizing openly and competing for public support. The far-right Conservative Peoples Party (EKRE), which was a member of the governing coalition after April 2019, has been vocal in its criticism of the judicial system and judges (e.g., Martin Helme, the leader of the party as of January 2021, pledged in 2018 that judges heads will roll when the party comes to power). Several large demonstrations were held during 2021, including numerous protests against COVID-19-related lockdown measures and vaccination mandates. FDI peaked in 2005 at 22% of GDP and, though it picked up after the recession, FDI inflows have remained around 56% on average. State identity is rarely questioned, even though state legitimacy is generally stronger among ethnic Estonians than Russian speakers (i.e., ethnic Russians and most other ethnic groups originating in the former Soviet Union). Were the current national legislative representatives elected through free and fair elections? The main political parties have developed strong organizational structures, including efficient central offices and local branches. The Russian community in Estonia is divided on Putin and the war with By the end of 2020, Estonia had the fifth lowest COVID-19-related death rate in Europe and the estimated decline in the GDP growth rate for 2020 was modest (-5%). Representative democracy is uniformly accepted by all relevant political actors. As a member state of the European Union and OECD, Estonia is thoroughly integrated into international policy exchange networks. The Estonian Employers Confederation (ETKL) has been more active in making policy proposals, especially on tax and industrial policy. The status and future of the Russian language in secondary education and the segregated school network has been a contentious issue since independence. Carried over from Soviet times, Estonia operates a parallel network of Estonian and Russian language-based primary and secondary schools. The judicial system is independent of the executive and administration of the courts is largely free from unjustified party pressure although it has been subjected to some intimidating rhetoric from the Conservative Peoples Party, which was part of the governing coalition formed in 2019. A new governing coalition, comprising the Center Party and the Reform Party, was formed later that month under the leadership of Reform Party leader Kaja Kallas, who became Estonias first woman prime minister. The Duchy of Estonia was a direct dominion of the King of Denmark from 1219 until 1346. Inflation will fall to around 5% by the end of this year and continue to ease in 2024. Relative poverty measured as the share of population on an income below 60% of the national median was 21.7% in 2019, somewhat above the EU average (16.5%, according to Eurostat). The far-right Conservative Peoples Party (part of the 20192021 governing coalition) often harshly dismisses progressive CSOs as agents of a global liberal conspiracy. The party espoused a polarizing agenda (particularly on migration and equal rights), fear of the deep state and other Trumpian tropes, and a general dislike of liberalism and socialism. The latter caused a significant backlash, forcing the EKREs minister of interior to step down, which did not help the governments long-term survival. A plan to jointly construct a new nuclear power plant in Lithuania has been mooted with no tangible progress. In addition, the Government Office has funded several projects for enhancing the capacity of government departments to engage social partners in policymaking and enhance the capacity of social partners to contribute to it. The relationship between Estonia and Russia has remained tense, particularly following the Ukraine conflict. President Kersti Kaljulaid employs a well-known civil society leader as a special adviser on civil society affairs. Estonia joined the WTO in 1999 and, following rapid economic development over two decades, was the first former Soviet republic to join the OECD (in 2010), and the European Economic and Monetary Union (in 2011). Overview Estonia's democratic institutions are generally strong, and both political rights and civil liberties are widely respected. The COVID-19-induced recession resulted in a projected decrease in GDP of 5.2% but growth is expected to resume from 2021 onward. Estonia - POLITICO Even its coalition partners have consistently shown unease with the EKREs behavior. The case was ongoing at years end. The judiciary is independent and generally free from government or other interference. In Estonian geopolitical discourse, Narva is an "othered" regional borderland city and a spatial manifestation of Estonian-Russian relations, both external and internal.4 Narva's separatist referendum of 1993 and its otherness continue to influence Estonian, European, Russian, and NATO concerns over Estonia's large Russian-speaking community and. Parental leave and payments from unemployment insurance are generous. Since 2011, all secondary schools must teach at least 60% of the curriculum in the Estonian language (education prior to the age of 16 can still be provided solely in Russian). Instead, the Russian-speaking community has generally been represented by the Center Party (KE), the leading party of government since 2016, which has been very successful in building up support among the minority community by controlling the municipal government in Tallinn and in northeast Estonia, where most Russians live. These rights are protected, not only in theory but also in practice, and the government has not been seriously accused of limiting freedoms. In 2020, the European Commission began infringement proceedings against Estonia for failing to match EU regulations for prosecuting hate crimes and criminalizing hate speech in domestic laws; legislation resolving the discrepancies had not been passed as of the end of 2021. Estonia supports political and socio-economic reforms in Ukraine, provides substantial humanitarian, financial and advisory and technical assistance. Eurobarometer data from June 2020 indicated that Estonians were among the least pessimistic about corruption. The current account balance has slightly deteriorated (-2% of GDP in Q3 of 2020). Trade unions and pressure groups have moderately increased their activities in recent years. However, the rate of naturalization has remained low in 2020, only 773 persons acquired citizenship by naturalization. Tax revenues as a share of GDP have consistently been well below the EU average since 1997 (31% versus 39% in 2020). The Reform Partys 11-year spell as the leading party of government was brought to an end in 2016 when the Center Partys Jri Ratas became the prime minister. The countrys parallel accession to NATO and the European Union enjoyed strong consensus among elites and elicited consistent determination to conform to the membership criteria. Two initiatives from Estonias presidents have sought to reconcile Estonians with their past: the establishment of the Estonian International Commission for Investigation of Crimes Against Humanity by Lennart Meri in 1998 and the Estonian Institute of Historical Memory (focusing mostly on human rights during the Soviet period) by Toomas Hendrik Ilves in 2008. The events of World War II, in particular, are a frequent source of disagreement between the majority of ethnic Estonians (especially the political elite) and many Russian-speakers; many of the latter are proud of the role of the Red Army, while the former mostly see it as an occupying power that refused to withdraw from Estonia at the end of the war. The efficiency of local governance was bolstered when a large-scale local government reform reduced the number of municipalities from 213 in 2014 to 79 in 2017. In response to the heightened risk of future Russian military incursions into Estonia, since 2016, a NATO battalion led by the British army has been deployed in the country. Corruption is a persistent challenge, as is discrimination against ethnic Russians, Roma, LGBT+ people, and others. Estonia entered the pandemic with one of the best positions globally (non-performing loans accounted for 0.4% of all bank loans). Estonia's political leadership recognizes the need to deal . Estonias political leadership recognizes the need to deal with historical acts of injustice, but the country has not implemented any extensive program of post-communist transitional justice. The Center Party (KE) led coalition that entered office after the 2019 election was affected by ideological strains in particular, because of the inclusion of the far-right Conservative Peoples Party (EKRE). In recent years, EKRE leaders have verbally attacked journalists, raising concerns about self-censorship, and observers have noted a trend toward ownership concentration, especially at the regional level. All coalitions have subscribed to key policy priorities such as a prudent fiscal policy and a knowledge-based economy. Electoral volatility has regularly varied between 10 and 20%. Political background - Estonia - issues, system, power Because Estonian governments adhere to the principle of balanced budgets, the country has the lowest level of government debt in Europe, which is projected to remain comparatively low even after the COVID-19-induced hike in borrowing. Political and administrative corruption are uncommon and are effectively penalized. While many have lived in Estonia. Read more Global freedom statuses are calculated on a weighted scale. Furthermore, the carbon footprint has decreased considerably since the late Soviet period, which has allowed the country to sell its CO2 quotas under the Kyoto protocol (given the 1990 base year).
estonia political issuesaktiviti night safari zoo taiping
Posted in miramar college calendar 2023-2024.