Executive branch:
chief of state: President Lennart MERI (since 21 October 1992) was
elected for a five-year term by Parliament; election last held 20
September 1992 (next to be held fall 1996); results - no candidate
received majority; Parliament elected Lennart MERI
head of government: Acting Prime Minister Tiit VAHI (since NA March
1995); the president nominated and Parliament authorized the
candidate for prime minister
cabinet: Council of Ministers was appointed by the prime minister,
approved by Parliament
Legislative branch: unicameral
Parliament (Riigikogu): elections last held 5 March 1995 (next to be
held NA 1999); results - KMU 32.22%, RE 16.18%, K 14.17%, Pro Patria
and ERSP 7.85%, M 5.98%, Our Home is Estonia and Right-Wingers 5.0%;
seats - (101 total) KMU 41, RE 19, K 16, Pro Patria 8, Our Home is
Estonia 6, M 6, Right-Wingers 5
Judicial branch: National Court
Political parties and leaders: Coalition Party and Rural Union (KMU), Tiit VAHI, chairman, made up of 4 parties: Coalition Party, Country People's Party, Farmer's Assembly, and Pensioners' and Families' League; Reform Party-Liberals (RE), Siim KALLAS, chairman; Center Party (K), Edgar SAVISAAR, chairman; Union of Pro Patria or Fatherland Alliance (Isamaa of Fatherland), Toivo JURGENSON, chairman; National Independence Party (ERSP), Kelam TUNNE, chairman, note - may have disappeared since the last election; Our Home is Estonia made up of 2 parties: United Peoples Party and the Russian People's Party of Estonia; United Peoples Party, Viktor ANDREJEV, chairman; Russian People's Party of Estonia, Sergei KUZNETSOV, chairman; Moderates (M) made up of 2 parties: Social Democratic Party and Rural Center Party; Social Democratic Party, Eiki NESTOR, chairman; Rural Center Party, Vambo KAAL, chairman; Right-Wingers, Ulo NUGIS, chairman
International organization participation: BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE,
EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NACC,
OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WEU (associate partner),
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Toomas Hendrik ILVES
chancery: 2131 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 588-0101
FAX: [1] (202) 789-0471
consulate(s) general: New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Lawrence P. TAYLOR
embassy: Kentmanni 20, Tallinn EE 0001
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [372] (6) 312-021
FAX: [372] (6) 312-025
Flag: pre-1940 flag restored by Supreme Soviet in May 1990 - three
equal horizontal bands of blue (top), black, and white
Economy ———-
Economic overview: Estonia continues to experience strong economic growth after its economy bottomed out in 1993. Bolstered by a widespread national desire to reintegrate into Western Europe, Estonia has adhered to disciplined fiscal and financial policies and has led the FSU countries in pursuing economic reform. Monthly inflation has been held to under 5% since the beginning of 1992, with monthly inflation in 1995 at 2%. Following four years of decline, Estonia's GDP grew 5% in 1994 and 6% in 1995 - among the highest rates in Europe, according to estimates of the IMF and Estonia's own Economic Ministry. Despite these positive economic indicators, unemployment - 8% in 1994 - is on the rise, and wages - especially for teachers and law enforcement personnel - have not kept pace with inflation. Small- and medium-scale privatization is essentially complete, and large-scale privatization is progressing, but slowly. Estonia has successfully reoriented it trade toward the West, two-thirds of exports now going to Western markets. Estonia's free trade policies were the cornerstone of its negotiations with the European Union, and led to the signing of an association agreement in June 1995. Estonia was the only Baltic state not to have a transition period imposed by the EU prior to its implementation of a free trade agreement.