Political Culture in Estonia

The reemergence of Estonia as an independent democratic state and international actor created two distinct sets of public responses—one among the ethnic Estonian population and another among the ethnic Slavic population. Estonians, who had viewed themselves as an occupied country and people, celebrated and savored the recovery of their long-awaited independence. But for many non-Estonians living in Estonia, the redefining nature of the change became real only later, with the collapse of the Soviet Union. The newly reborn Estonian state, led by Estonians, was clearly oriented toward Europe, especially the Nordic and Scandinavian countries. ¹ Attitudes toward state relations with Russia by the newly emerging political parties and organizations varied from hostile to pragmatic. For non-Estonians, many of whom identified with Russia, the very symbols of independence so valued by ethnic Estonians were perceived as potentially threatening to their status. The reemergence of Estonian identity and the crisis of Slavic identity constitute the background against which the new political culture or cultures of Estonia will emerge.