Estonia

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Liberal Estonia is Back—With Some Lessons Learned About Engaging with Radical Right-wing Populists

Coincidence or not, the Estonian government collapsed on 13 January, soon after the presidency of Donald Trump in the US made its violent turn towards an ugly end. During the past year and eight months, Estonia experimented with a coalition including radical right-wing populists. The experiment damaged Estonia’s international reputation and its relations with allies, put pressure on its democratic institutions, and increased polarisation within society.

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Publications

China’s Technological Rise: Implications for Global Security and the Case of Nuctech

China under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is poised to become the world’s first technology enabled totalitarian superpower. No country will be untouched by this development, including Estonia, where a Chinese state-owned technology company Nuctech specialising in “security solutions” monitors cargo crossing the NATO border with Russia using a radiation-based technology originally copied from Europe.

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Publications

Democracy, ‘Alternative Reality’ and Estonia’s Resilience

The brief explores reasons why the concerns, grievances and perceptions of all vulnerable societal groups should receive adequate attention if further harm inflicted by fact-free and/or fact-twisting ‘alternative realities’ is to be averted.

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The Three Seas Virtual Summit: All Icing, No Cake

On Monday 19 October, Estonia hosted the Three Seas Virtual Summit, marking the end of Estonia’s presidency of the initiative and handing over the reins to Bulgaria.

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17+1 Cooperation Is Turning Sour: Shared Concerns Over China Can Help Repair the Transatlantic Relationship

Europe and the US have a number of common concerns caused by the rise of China that could help to repair transatlantic relations. Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries should invest in strengthening the EU’s unity and transatlantic cooperation vis-à-vis China rather than the 17+1 format.

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Estonia’s 2021 Defence Budget: The Result of a Heated Political Debate

On 30 September, the Estonian Government submitted its draft 2021 state budget to the Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu). For once, the allocation for national defence was the result of a heated political row between coalition partners.

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Publications

The Bronze Soldier Crisis of 2007: Revisiting an Early Case of Hybrid Conflict

This report revisits the spring 2007 crisis in Estonia, centred on the World War II memorial known as the Bronze Soldier statue. The crisis is well-known both in Estonia and abroad. It was one of the first wake-up calls to the cooling of relations between Russia and the West. It also involved the first use of wide-ranging cyber-attacks against a state.

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The Coronavirus Crisis Has Brought New Realism to Estonian-Finnish Relations

In the Covid-19 crisis, the Finnish government took its decisions based on the national interest and considering the wellbeing of its citizens. This is how it would behave in possible future crises, which may be of a different nature. Estonia should avoid too high expectations of its northern neighbour.

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Publications

Volunteers in Estonia’s Security Sector: Opportunities for Enhancing Societal Resilience

This policy paper assesses the involvement of volunteers acting in the public interest under Estonian law in the development of key characteristics of a broad security concept and reflects the main ongoing discussion points for widening their potential for ensuring collective security and public safety.

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Estonia’s Shiny Event at the UN Exposed Deep Disagreements with Russia

On 8–9 May, the world commemorated the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe. One of the highlights of this occasion was supposed to be a magnificent military parade in Moscow, with a number of world leaders attending to celebrate the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazism. However, the Covid-19 pandemic forced Russia to postpone the parade. It also inspired Estonia to organise an innovative high-level event at the UN that can be considered a success in both organisational and substantive terms.

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