Policy of Estonia

Since its return to independence, the Estonia is a parliamentary democracy whose political life resembles that of a parliamentary mode where the majority of 51 deputies (out of 101, with the Riigikogu) is sometimes difficult to obtain.

Executive

President

The Estonian President is elected by the Parliament for one five years period. If nobody manages to obtain the majority of two thirds after three turns of vote, an electoral assembly made up of the Parliament and members of the local governments meet. She elects the president while choosing between the two candidates having had the most votes at the Parliament.

The current president is Toomas Hendrik Ilves, resulting from the social democrat Party and in function since October 9th, 2006.

Government

The current Estonian government (in July 2007) is a coalition between the Parti the Reform, the Union Pro Patria and Res Publica and the social democrat Parti. President of the Republic of Estonia Arnold Rüütel named at the station of Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, who obtained the majority necessary of the 53 votes of the Parliament to form the new government. The Party of the Reform (R) has five ministers in the government against five for the Party of the Center (PC) and four for the Union of People (UP). The ministers officially took their functions the April 13rd 2005, after having lent oath before the Parliament.

Prime Minister Mr. Andrus Ansip R
Minister for Finance Mr. Aivar Sõerd UP
Foreign Minister Mr. Urmas Paet R
Minister of Interior Department Mr. Kalle Laanet PC
Minister of the Economy and Telecommunications: Mr. Edgar Savisaar PC
Minister for the social Affairs Mr. Jaak Aab PC
Minister for Justice Mr. Kidney Lang R
Minister for Defense Mr. Jaak Jõerüüt R
Minister for Agriculture Mrs. Ester Tuiksoo UP
Minister for Education and Sciences Mrs. Mailis Reps PC
Minister for the Culture Mr. Raivo Palmaru PC
Minister of environment Mr. Villu Reiljan UP
Deputy secretary with Nationalities Mr. Paul-Eerik Rummo R
Deputy secretary with the regional Businesses Mr. Jaan Õunapuu UP --->

The Prime Minister and the Ministers for the government constitute the executive body of the Republic of Estonia.

The Constitution defines the reserved domains in the government:

Met of work the interior policy and foreign
Directs and coordinates the activity of the services of the Government;
Organizes the execution of the laws, of the decrees of Riigikogu and the acts of the President of the Republic;
Presents bills to Riigikogu and the international treaties for ratification or denunciation;
Elabore the bill of the budget of the State
Organizes the implementation of the budget and presents the report of the implementation of the budget;
Organizes the relations with the foreign States.

How the government is named: The President names the Prime Minister who forms then his government. If the candidate designated by the President does not obtain the majority of votes cast by the Riigikogu, or is unable to form a government, (the Constitution allows to the President two nominations), the right to introduce a candidate to the functions of Prime Minister returns then in Riigikogu.

The Prime Minister appoints the ministers who then are named by the front President to lend oath in front of Riigikogu. The function of minister is incompatible with that of deputy. The minister can be without political affiliation. Nevertheless, the selection of the Prime Minister, the formation of the government and the success of the legislative program depend on the Parliament.

The government resigns in the event of: resignation or death of the Prime Minister, vote of distrust of Riigikogu with respect to the Government or the Prime Minister, the meeting of a new legislature of Riigikogu.

The first legislative elections since the restoration of independence after the Soviet occupation took place in September 1992.

Legislature

Representation with the the European Parliament

Estonia lays out of six appointed with the the European Parliament, that is to say the same number as the Luxembourg, definitely less populated.

The representatives of Estonia were elected for the first time in June 2004:

the voter turnout reached only 26,7%, one of lowest of the European Union;
the party Res Publica of the former Prime Minister Juhan Parts does not obtain any seat (6,66%);
it was demolishes by the social democrat Parti (SDE) which, there is little, did not dare to post under this name (but was made call Modérés) fear of being associated with the Communists. This last gained three of the six seats (half) allotted to Estonia with a little more of the third of the voices (36,79%);
three other parties, the Left the Center (17,53%), the Left the Reform (12,22%) and the Union Pro Patria (10,5%) obtained a seat each one;
in spite of its 8,05%, the agrarian right party, the Union of the People, is victim of the electoral quotient and does not obtain any seat.

Results with the European elections of 2004

Minorities

An important minority, essentially Russian speaker, live in Estonia where it constitutes between a fifth and a quarter of the population. She is not represented at the Parliament and the Government.

The Committee of the Ministers for the the Council of Europe adopted the June 13rd 2002 a resolution concerning these minorities and their protection, of which here an essential extract:

Résolution ResCMN (2002) 8 on the implementation of Convention-tallies for the protection of the national minorities by Estonia

The Committee of the Ministers, under the terms of articles 24 to 26 of Convention-tallies for the protection of the national minorities the following resolution:

- Estonia made efforts to implement Convention-tallies it and to improve the intercultural dialog in Estonia. It in particular gave an attention increasing to the integration of the people belonging to national minorities, including by the means of the National plan of integration.

- the protection of the national minorities is not always treated in a suitable way in the legislative process and the administrative practice. In spite of certain recent improvements in the relevant legislation, there remains insufficiencies as for the use of the minority languages, including with regard to the private postings exposed to the sight of the public.

- some of the initiatives taken to protect the national minorities, like the law on the cultural autonomy of the national minorities, contain elements which are not particularly adapted to the current location of the minorities in Estonia. It is thus advisable to revise them or to replace them in order to make them effective with regard to all the minorities concerned.

- extra efforts are necessary to promote the process of naturalization, taking into account the fact that the number of stateless people remains high. less 10% of the population at least, in strong fall since integration with [[European Union]]

List of the presidents of Estonia
Estonian Political parties

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