Estonia: Challenges with the Popularity of Right-Wing Radicalism

Abstract

Since joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU) in 2004, Estonia has been an exemplar of rationality and democratic values, becoming an epitome of digital innovation, openness and budgetary balance. This can be exemplified by looking at the peak of the global financial crisis in 2008, when Estonia quickly took austerity measures to overcome the crisis, setting a model for other states in the EU. Despite painful reforms and budgetary constraints, Estonia’s liberal and conservative political parties retained their popularity. For nearly two decades, a liberal social consensus existed: with each year of independence, Estonians expected that their civil society and democratic institutions would continue to grow stronger.