Opinion stories from and about Estonians.
Estonian World finds itself in a new and unique position where, for the first time, the inclusion of a far-right party in the Estonian government demands an English-language “watchdog” media role from us. For almost 28 years, Estonia moved forward. Successive governments introduced reforms, the country turned its face west …
Hafiz Abdul Manan, a mechanical engineer and a Pakistani expat living in Tallinn, argues that the fundamental cause of current Estonian political tension is rooted in crisis of values; Estonians need to unite and forge an identity that not just nurtures their culture and traditions but also makes them a …
Hafiz Abdul Manan: The case for modern Estonian identity Read More »
In a speech given at the opening session of the XIV Riigikogu (the Estonian parliament), President Kersti Kaljulaid said that if we allow our freedoms and values to be attacked – an indirect reference to the rhetoric used by EKRE party leaders – then our democracy will also soon be …
Estonian president Kersti Kaljulaid: We have a crisis of values Read More »
The Estonian community in Sweden, in a public appeal, addressed to the Estonian president, prime minister and chancellor of justice, condemn EKRE’s attacks on minorities and say they’re not going to watch silently how Estonia is moving towards the Hungarian and Polish autocratic societies. Estonian World publishes the appeal in …
Estonians in Sweden condemn EKRE’s attacks in a public appeal Read More »
Benjamin Klasche, a PhD candidate at Tallinn University and a German expat living in Tallinn, gives his view as to what drives people to vote for extreme parties like the Estonian Conservative People’s Party. We live in tumultuous times. Globally, we have to deal with an environmental crisis that appears …
The former president of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, writes in a Facebook post that the Estonia we want should be a country governed by law, a country where people are not judged based on their origins, religion or native language, and a country where people can remain themselves. Four years …
Toomas Hendrik Ilves: We want an Estonia where people can remain themselves Read More »
The freelance journalist and a member of the Estonian Centre Party, Abdul Turay, says in a public letter to prime minister Jüri Ratas that the coalition with far-right EKRE party would not only destroy Ratas’s legacy – it would destroy the reputation of Estonia; Estonian World publishes Turay’s letter in …
Abdul Turay in a public letter to Jüri Ratas: EKRE are flat out fascists Read More »
If the Centre-EKRE-Isamaa coalition comes true in Estonia, the far-right EKRE will hold prime minister Jüri Ratas by the balls and dictate the coalition’s policy, Andrei Tuch writes. The Estonian parliamentary election resulted in what initially looked like a rather worrying but non-apocalyptic result. Out of the 101 seats in …
Andrei Tuch: Welcome to Estonia’s new neo-Nazi government Read More »
The question of what can become of a society and completely normal people when the said society goes mad, is valid again even in Estonia – a visit to the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam warns us about the horrors that can happen to each one of us. Estonia has …
The Anne Frank House in Amsterdam: An Estonian view Read More »
This year, the International Women’s Day came five days earlier than the traditional date – on the basis of the election results, it can be said the 27 mandates out of 101 given to women are a record of all the elections after Estonia regained its independence. Moreover, for the …
A record 27 women elected to the Estonian parliament Read More »