Government and Politics

Government and Politics of Estonia

Government structure, leadership, capital, military, and national symbols of Estonia.

Government Structure

Constitutional foundations, branches, parties, and leadership.

Government Type: parliamentary republic
Administrative Divisions: 15 counties (maakonnad, singular - maakond): Harjumaa (Tallinn), Hiiumaa (Kardla), Ida-Virumaa (Johvi), Jarvamaa (Paide), Jogevamaa (Jogeva), Laanemaa (Haapsalu), Laane-Virumaa (Rakvere), Parnumaa (Parnu), Polvamaa (Polva), Raplamaa (Rapla), Saaremaa (Kuressaare), Tartumaa (Tartu), Valgamaa (Valga), Viljandimaa (Viljandi), Vorumaa (Voru)
Legal System: based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal for all Estonian citizens
Citizenship: Citizenship by birth: No Citizenship by descent only: At least one parent must be a citizen of Estonia Dual citizenship recognized: No Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Executive Branch: chief of state: President Alar KARIS (since 11 October 2021) head of government: Prime Minister Kristen MICHAL (since 23 July 2024) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, approved by Parliament elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term; if a candidate does not secure two-thirds of the votes after three rounds of balloting in Parliament, then an electoral assembly (made up of Parliament plus members of local governments) elects the president, choosing between the two candidates with the largest share of votes; election last held on 31 August 2021 (next to be held in 2026); prime minister nominated by the president and approved by Parliament election results: Alar KARIS elected president on 31 August 2021; he was nominated by several parliamentary parties as a consensus candidate and elected by Parliament in the first round of voting, having secured the required two-thirds majority; KARIS, a former head of the National Audit Office and rector of the University of Tartu, took office on 11 October 2021, succeeding Kersti KALJULAID, who had served since 2016
Legislative Branch: unicameral Parliament or Riigikogu (101 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 2 March 2003 (next to be held NA March 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - Center Party of Estonia 25.4%, Res Publica 24.6%, Estonian Reform Party 17.7%, Estonian People's Union 13%, Pro Patria Union (Fatherland League) 7.3% People's Party Moodukad 7%; seats by party - Res Publica 26, Center Party 20, Reform Party 19, Estonian People's Union 13, Pro Patria Union 7, Social Democrats (formerly People's Party Moodukad) 6, non-affiliated (Social Liberals and independents) 10
Judicial Branch: National Court (chairman appointed by Parliament for life)
Political Parties: Center Party of Estonia (Keskerakond) [Edgar SAVISAAR, chairman]; Estonian People's Union (Rahvaliit) [Villu REILJAN, chairman]; Estonian Reform Party (Reformierakond) [Andrus ANSIP]; Estonian United Russian People's Party or EUVRP [Yevgeniy TOMBERG, chairman]; Pro Patria Union (Isamaaliit) [Tonis LUKAS, chairman]; Res Publica [Taavi VESKIMAGI, chairman]; Social Democratic Party (formerly People's Party Moodukad or Moderates) [Ivari PADAR, chairman]; Social Liberals (group of eight parliamentarians, former Center Party members) [Peeter KREITZBERG]
Head of State: President Toomas Hendrik ILVES
Head of Government: Prime Minister Andrus ANSIP
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, approved by Parliament
Elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); if a candidate does not secure two-thirds of the votes after three rounds of balloting in the Parliament, then an electoral assembly (made up of Parliament plus members of local governments) elects the president, choosing between the two candidates with the largest percentage of votes; election last held 23 September 2006 (next to be held in the fall of 2011); prime minister nominated by the president and approved by Parliament
Election Results: Toomas Hendrik ILVES elected president on 23 September 2006 by a 345-member electoral assembly; ILVES received 174 votes to incumbent Arnold RUUTEL’s 162; remaining 9 ballots left blank or invalid
Constitution: adopted 28 June 1992
Independence: regained on 20 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National Holiday: Independence Day, 24 February (1918); note - 24 February 1918 is the date Estonia declared its independence from Soviet Russia; 20 August 1991 is the date it declared its independence from the Soviet Union
International Organization Participation: BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EU (new member), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic Representation in the U.S.: chief of mission: Ambassador Juri LUIK chancery: 2131 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 588-0101 FAX: [1] (202) 588-0108 consulate(s) general: New York
U.S. Diplomatic Representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Aldona Zofia WOS embassy: Kentmanni 20, 15099 Tallinn mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [372] 668-8100 FAX: [372] 668-8134

Capital City

Seat of government and political history.

Capital City: Tallinn
Location: 59 26 N, 24 43 E
Time Difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
History: The Estonian name is generally believed to be derived from "Taani-linn" (originally meaning "Danish castle", now "Danish town") after a stronghold built in the area by the Danes; it could also have come from "tali-linn" ("winter castle" or "winter town") or "talu-linn" ("home castle" or "home town")

Embassy and Diplomatic Representation

Embassy location and contact details.

U.S. Embassy Tallinn Kentmanni 20 (postal code 15099). Telephone: 372-668-8128 (please see our dialing instructions, below). Emergency After-Hours Telephone: 372-668-8169 Facsimile: 372-668-8267; E-mail: ACSTallinn@state.gov Dialing instructions: Where you see the “ ” sign, you must begin by dialing the prefix required for international calls. If you are in the United States, you should start by dialing “011.” If you are calling from most other countries, you begin by dialing “00.” Thus, if you are in the United States, you can reach the embassy’s switchboard by dialing 011-372-668-8100. If you are calling from within Estonia, you can omit the country code ( 372).

Military

Branches, service obligations, expenditures, and manpower.

Military Branches: Estonian Defense Forces (Eesti Kaitsevagi): Land Force (Maavagi), Navy (Merevagi), Air Force (Ohuvagi), Defense League (Kaitseliit)
Service Age and Obligation: 18-27 for compulsory military or governmental service, conscript service requirement 8-11 months depending on education; NCOs, reserve officers, and specialists serve 11 months

National Symbols

Flag, anthem, and other symbols of national identity.

National Flag

Flag Symbolism: pre-1940 flag restored by Supreme Soviet in May 1990 - three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), black, and white
Flag History: In a folk song the colors blue represents the sky, black represents the sky, and white represents the aspiration to freedom and hopt for the future. Another interpretation is blue for mutual confidence and fidelit, black for the supposed ancestors of the Estonians, the black cloaked people mention in Herodotus' Histories and whit for the snow that covers the country half the year.
Date of Adoption: 7 August 1990

National Anthem

Anthem Lyrics: MU ISAMAA MU ÕNN JA RÕÕM Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm, kui kaunis oled sa! Ei leia mina iial teal see suure, laia ilma peal, mis mul nii armas oleks ka, kui sa, mu isamaa! Sa oled mind ju sünnitand ja üles kasvatand; sind tänan mina alati ja jään sull truuiks surmani, mul kõige armsam oled sa, mu kallis isamaa! Su üle Jumal valvaku, mu armas isamaa! Ta olgu sinu kaitseja ja võtku rohkest õnnista, mis iial ette võtad sa, mu kallis isamaa!
Anthem Lyrics (English): Unofficial translation of the Estonian anthem by Jenny Wahl My native land, my joy, delight, How fair thou art and bright! And nowhere in the world all round Can ever such a place be found So well beloved as I love thee, My native country dear! My little cradle stood on thy soil, Whose blessings case my toil. With my last breath my thanks to thee, For true to death I´ll ever be, O worthy, most beloved and fine, Thou, dearest country mine! May God in Heaven thee defend, My best, my dearest land! May He be guard, may He be shield, For ever may He bless and wield O graciously all deeds of thine, Thou dearest country mine!

Other National Symbols

National Flower
blue cornflower
It is an annual plant growing to 40-90 cm tall, with grey-green branched stems. The leaves are lanceolate, 1-4 cm long. The flowers are most commonly an intense blue colour, produced in flowerheads (capitula) 1.5-3 cm diameter, with a ring of a few large, spreading ray florets surrounding a central cluster of disc florets. The blue pigment is protocyanin, which in roses is red.[1].
National Tree
oak
National Bird
barnswallow
Seal
coat of arms
The heraldic lions of the coat of arms are the most ancient of Estonia’s symbols. They have been used since the 13th century, when they served as the big coat of arms for the capital city, Tallinn. Tallinn got these slim blue lions from the King of Denmark, Waldemar the Second, as Denmark was the ruling power in Northern Estonia at that time. The name ”Tallinn” itself means ”Danish castle”. The large coat of arms Various other foreign powers came and went, but the three lions remained and became the coat of arms for most of Estonian territory. The State Assembly of the independent Republic of Estonia adopted the three lions officially by its resolution on 19 June 1925. The current large coat of arms is a golden shield charged with three blue lions with golden oak branches on both sides of the shield. The small coat of arms is identical except there are no oak branches.
Colors
coat of arms
While the coat of arms has its origin in the times of foreign rule in Estonia, the blue, black and white national colours are much younger and are closely connected to the Estonian people. They date back to the end of the 19th century. At that time, the Baltic states, Finland and the greater part of Poland were under Tsarist rule. The period is known in Estonia as the era of National Awakening. The colours were chosen by a group of young intellectuals in 1881. The flag was, at first, the symbol of the Estonian Students’ Society, but it quickly gained a much wider use. The symbolic meaning of the three colours has been explained in more than one way since that time. One popular explanation derives from a contemporary poem by Martin Lipp. The blue colour is explained as the vaulted blue sky above the native land. Black symbolises attachment to the soil of the homeland as well as the fate of Estonians — for centuries black with worries. White is connected with hard work and other more abstract human values. This explanation owes its popularity to the melody by composer Enn Vôrk, which made Martin Lipp’s poem a highly patriotic song, often ranked next to the national anthem. As in many other countries, there is also a historical metaphor for the Estonian national colours. The blue in this case represents ancient freedom, black symbolises lost independence, and white promises a brighter future. Visually, taken together, these three colours have a fresh, cool, Nordic feel, as none of the ”warm” colours is included. The same colour combination is used by no other national tricolor. The state flag By the end of the 19th century, the blue, black and white became widely accepted as a national Estonian flag. Therefore, it was natural to use these colours for the National Army’s insignia during the War of Independence. When the flag was hoisted to the top of the Tall Herman tower dominating the whole Tallinn, the tower itself gained a strong symbolic value for the Estonians. The flag flying there has always indicated the ruling power in the country. On 27 June 1922 the Estonian Parliament declared the blue-black-white the official state flag. After the Soviet occupation in June 1940, the blue-black-white flag, and, indeed, the mere combination of these colours, was banned. Many people were persecuted simply for keeping and hiding the flag or using the colours. But the colours were never forgotten and the struggle to bring the national colours back into use marked the beginning of a renewed struggle for independence in the late 1980s. They were an important weapon in the bloodless fight for the restoration of the independence of Estonia, which was finally won in August 1991.

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