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Estonia

Monthly Event Reports

June 2023 | Parliament approves same-sex marriage

Lawmakers in Estonia’s 101-seat parliament have approved amendments to the Family Act, with 55 votes in favour and 34 against, allowing for same-sex marriage. The country is now the first in Central Europe with such legislation. The law was pushed forward after the liberal coalition government led by Prime Minister Kaja Kallas took office in March. Although same-sex couples had won the right to enter into civil unions in 2014, the new law allows same-sex marriage and addresses legal loopholes that prevented same-sex couples from enjoying the same adoption and parental recognition rights as heterosexual couples. The new legislation will come into effect in 2024.

April 2023 | Prime Minister’s center-right Reform Party reaches government coalition agreement

About a month after the elections, the center-right Reform Party government has started its third term in Estonia, after securing a coalition deal with the centrist Eesti 200 Party and the Social Democratic Party. The Reform Party will lead seven ministries, including defence and finance. Eesti 200 and the Social Democrats will each have three ministerial portfolios. Prime Minister Kallas has been one of the biggest supporters of Ukraine and has said that security and defence will be the new government’s main priorities, including the defence expenditure increase to three per cent of the country’s GDP. Other priorities will be socio-economic issues, especially reducing fiscal deficits. Kallas is Estonia’s first female prime minister and she has held the position since 2021.

March 2023 | The ruling Reform Party secures first place in elections

The ruling center-right Reform Party secured first place in the country’s parliamentary elections, with 31 per cent of the vote. The elections were seen as a test for Estonia’s pro-EU direction and its stance on the war in Ukraine. Prime Minister Kaja Kallas campaigned on a pro-Ukraine platform, while far-right EKRE, which criticized accepting Ukrainian refugees and sending weapons to Ukraine, came second with 16 per cent. Apart from the national security concerns following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, socio-economic issues and the rising cost of living are expected to be the main matters the new government will be addressing. Women’s representation in the Riigikogu set a new record, with 30 elected women, as compared to 28 in the 2019 elections. Voter turnout was at 63.5 per cent, similar to the 63.7 per cent in previous elections.

Explore past monthly event reports

GSoD Indices Data 2013-2022

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Basic Information

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Population Tooltip
1 330 930
System of government
Parliamentary system
Head of government
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (since 2021)
Head of government party
Reform Party
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
List Proportional Representation
Women in lower or single chamber
29.7%
Women in upper chamber
Not applicable
Last legislative election
2023
Effective number of political parties Tooltip
4.52
Head of state
President Alar Karis
Selection process for head of state
Indirect election (if 2/3 majority not reached in assembly, election goes to assembly + regional/local representatives)
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
04/05/2021
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
70.07%
Population Tooltip
1 330 930
System of government
Parliamentary system
Head of government
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (since 2021)
Head of government party
Reform Party
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
List Proportional Representation
Women in lower or single chamber
29.7%
Women in upper chamber
Not applicable
Last legislative election
2023
Effective number of political parties Tooltip
4.52
Head of state
President Alar Karis
Selection process for head of state
Indirect election (if 2/3 majority not reached in assembly, election goes to assembly + regional/local representatives)
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
04/05/2021
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
70.07%
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Human Rights Treaties

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State Party State party
Signatory Signatory
No Action No action
United Nations Human Right Treaties
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
State Party
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
State Party
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
State Party
Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
State Party
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment
State Party
Convention on the Rights of the Child
State Party
International Convention on Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
No Action
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance 
No Action
International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
State Party
International Labour Organisation Treaties
Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention
State Party
Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention
State Party
Equal Remuneration Convention
State Party
Abolition of Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention
State Party
Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment
State Party
Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention
State Party
Regional Treaties
Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
State Party
Protocol to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
State Party
Protocol No. 4 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
State Party
Protocol No. 6 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
State Party
Protocol No. 7 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
State Party
Protocol No. 12 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
Signatory
Protocol No. 13 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
State Party
in
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Performance by category over the last 6 months

Representation neutral Representation
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
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Jan
Feb 2024
Representation neutral Rights
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2024
Representation neutral Rule of law
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
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Feb 2024
Representation neutral Participation
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2024

Global State of Democracy Indices

Hover over the trend lines to see the exact data points across the years

Explore the indices
Representation
Representation
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rights
Rights
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rule of Law
Rule of Law
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Participation
Participation
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Annual value

Factors of Democratic Performance Over Time

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