Freedom in the World 1999 - Estonia

1999 Scores

Status: Free
Freedom Rating: 1.5
Civil Liberties: 2
Political Rights: 1

Overview

Despite its first-place finish in March parliamentary elections, the leftist Center Party was consigned to the opposition following the formation of a majority coalition government by the center-right grouping of the Reform Party, Pro Patria, and the Moderates. Pro Patria's Mart Laar, who had served as prime minister between 1992 and 1994, was renamed to the post later that month.

Dominated by Sweden in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and annexed by Russia in 1704, Estonia became independent in 1918. Soviet troops occupied the country during World War II, following a secret protocol in the 1939 Hitler-Stalin pact which forcibly incorporated Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania into the U.S.S.R. Under Soviet rule, approximately one-tenth of Estonia's population was deported, executed, or forced to escape to the West. Subsequent Russian immigration substantially altered the country's ethnic composition, with ethnic Estonians constituting 88 percent before World War II and just over 61 percent in 1989. Estonia regained its independence with the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Estonia's second post-independence parliamentary elections in March 1995 saw a shift to the center-left Coalition Party/Rural Union (KMU) over the right-of-center Pro Patria/Estonian National Independence Party coalition. The results reflected popular dissatisfaction among the elderly and rural electorate, who were hardest hit by the previous government's market reforms. The KMU subsequently formed a majority coalition government with the leftist Center Party, which held until October 1995, when the Center Party left the coalition and was replaced by the right-of-center Reform Party. In February 1997, Prime Minister Tiit Vahi resigned following allegations of corruption and Mart Siiman of the Coalition Party was named as the new prime minister.

In parliamentary elections held on March 7, 1999, the Center Party won the largest percentage of votes, with 23.4 percent, capturing 28 seats. However, the Reform Party, Pro Patria, and the Moderates, who together took 53 seats, subsequently formed a center-right majority coalition government. The Center Party and its leader Edgar Savisaar, with whom various political forces expressed reluctance to cooperate, was effectively forced into the opposition. The other three parties which secured enough votes to enter parliament were the centrist Coalition Party and the left-of-center Country People's Party, each of which took seven seats, and the United People's Party, representing some of the country's large ethnic Russian population, which captured six seats.

Local elections held in October saw the lowest voter turnout, at 49.4 percent, of any municipal or parliamentary election since independence. Apathy among the electorate following the hard-fought national campaign in March was among the reasons cited by analysts for the poor showing. While the Center Party took the lead in the capital of Tallinn and the industrial northeast where many ethnic Russians reside, the three members of the national governing coalition enjoyed victories in several other cities.

In February, parliament adopted amendments to the language law requiring those working in the service sector, including business people, public servants, and local government workers, to possess fluency in Estonian for their work. The law, which went into effect in July, was criticized by political parties representing Russian speakers and by representatives of some international organizations. The amendments had followed the adoption of legislation in December 1998 requiring candidates for public office to demonstrate sufficient proficiency in Estonian to participate in debates and understand legal acts.

The ongoing effects of the Russian economic crisis of August 1998 led to negative growth in Estonia's economy during the first half of 1999. Unrealistic growth expectations built into Estonia's 1999 budget by the outgoing parliament forced the legislature to adopt a 1 billion kroon ($67.2 million) cut in the state budget in June after weeks of intense debate. By law, the state budget must be balanced each year. Privatization of the last major infrastructure projects, including railroads and energy, was slated to be completed by the end of 1999. However, the process stalled because of procedural problems and bureaucratic postponements. In November, Estonia became the 135th member of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Political Rights and Civil Liberties

Estonians can change their government democratically. However, the country's citizenship law has been criticized for disenfranchising many Russian speakers who arrived in Estonia during the Soviet era and are regarded as immigrants who must apply for citizenship. Although noncitizens may not participate in national elections, they can vote, but not serve as candidates, in local elections. The 1992 constitution established a 101-member unicameral legislature elected for four-year terms, with a prime minister serving as head of government and a president as head of state. After the first president was chosen by popular vote in 1992, subsequent presidential elections reverted to parliamentary ballot. According to international observers, the 1995 and 1999 parliamentary elections were free and fair.

The government respects freedom of speech and the press. There are three national and five local or regional private television stations which broadcast both Estonian and Russian-language programs. Close to 40 radio stations operate throughout the country, of which five are state-owned. Dozens of privately run national and regional newspapers offer diverse viewpoints. Religious freedom is respected in law and practice in this predominantly Lutheran country.

The constitution guarantees freedom of assembly, and the government respects this provision in practice. Political parties are allowed to organize freely, although only citizens may be members. Workers have the right to organize freely, to strike, and to bargain collectively. One-third of the country's labor force belongs to one of the three main trade union organizations, which are independent of the state.

The judiciary is independent and judges may not hold any other elected or appointed office. There have been credible reports that some police officers use excessive force and verbal abuse during the arrest and questioning of suspects. Despite recent improvements in the country's prison system, overcrowding and a lack of financial resources and adequately trained staff remain a problem.

Of Estonia's population of just under 1.5 million, more than 1 million are Estonian citizens, of which approximately 110,000 have been naturalized since 1992. On December 8, 1998, parliament amended the Citizenship Law to allow stateless children born in Estonia after February 26, 1992, to legally resident stateless parents to acquire Estonian citizenship at the request of their parents and without having to pass a language test. In 1999, only 4,533 people became new Estonian citizens, down by half from the previous year. Of the total number, 2,444 were children of non-citizens who were granted automatic citizenship under the new Citizenship Law amendments.

Women enjoy the same legal rights as men, although they are underrepresented in senior-level positions and the government.