Opinion stories from and about Estonians.
The moment a Song Celebration conductor kisses their baton means a tribute to the soul of a nation; the Tallinn-based Italian expat, Milena Spigaglia shares her impressions of the Estonian Song Celebration 2019. I am currently reading a book about the nation state. The book was published last year in …
A national identity performed: the Estonian Song Celebration Read More »
The Estonian president, Kersti Kaljulaid, opened the country’s cherished Song Celebration with a speech in which she emphasised that singing had historically brought Estonians joy and courage and made people feel free; Estonian World publishes Kaljulaid’s speech in full. Dear people of Estonia, Our first Song Festival took place 150 …
For the small Estonian Jewish community, times have been peaceful – but recent anti-Semitic acts are a reason for concern. Over the weekend of 22-23 June, several headstones at the 110-year old Rahumäe Jewish cemetery in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, were knocked over. On 23 June, swastikas were spray-painted on …
Editorial: Estonia needs to tackle anti-Semitism before it’s too late Read More »
Following March’s general elections, which produced an unexpected governing coalition, the Estonian society still reels between confusion, disappointment and disagreement. This article was originally published in the International Centre for Defence and Security’s blog. There is a desire to interpret the European Parliament election as a referendum on the government, which the low …
Piret Kuusik: What does the 2019 European Parliament election in Estonia tell us? Read More »
Dmitri Fefilov, a journalist at the Estonian Russian-language business newspaper, Delovõje Vedomosti, says the life of Estonians and Russians in the country used to be a game of national belonging, and he doesn’t want to be pulled into it again. People play different games in this world. Through games, one …
Dmitri Fefilov: Don’t pull us into the game of national belonging again Read More »
On Europe Day, 21 European heads of state made a joint call, encouraging everybody to vote in the European Parliament election, saying it’s the European citizens who decide which path the bloc will follow. Europe is the best idea we have ever had European integration has helped realise a centuries-old …
European heads of state: European citizens decide which path the EU shall follow Read More »
Marcus Kolga, an Estonian-Canadian filmmaker and journalist, writes that in the light of the far-right Estonian Conservative People’s Party’s inclusion into the governing coalition, the world is watching and wondering – what happened to Estonia? Last week, newspapers around the world were filled with headlines that negatively reflected a growing …
When your political party’s decisions – however vile or stupid – dictate your values, you really have none; you’re only loyal to your party, not to any values, views or positions, the deputy editor-in-chief of Estonian World, Sten Hankewitz, writes. There’s an interesting phenomenon going on in the political world …
Sten Hankewitz: When party politics dictates your values, you have none Read More »
The Kõigi Eesti grassroots movement that was started in March out of concern about the recent developments in the Estonian politics, on Sunday issued a strong statement, influenced by the historical events and quoting a legendary writer, in the face of public threats and intimidation by the far-right Estonian Conservative …
Estonian grassroots movement Kõigi Eesti: freedoms might already be at risk Read More »
Joining the largest economic and political union in the world – the European Union – was the best decision Estonia could make in 2004.* When Estonia restored its independence in 1991, it had a choice – to keep strong economic bonds with former imperial power Russia, or look to the …
Estonia’s decision of the decade: joining the EU Read More »