No. 1

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Thoughts on Parliamentarism, Democracy and Future Goals of the Riigikogu

Democracy as a form of a state’s political regime is a constantly regenerating process that is based on a continuing dialogue between the people and Parliament.

The most important achievement of the previous decade is that, despite of a sometimes rather critical opinion towards their politicians, the people of Estonia have not even for a single moment lost faith in their state and Parliament. Although parliamentary work is founded on legislation, Parliament’s activities as a representative body of the people cannot be reduced to that task only: an essential role in this process is played by the ongoing relations with the media and the professional and academic communities who have been called to participate in various forms of Parliament’s work (first and foremost through committees of Parliament). An indispensable means for achieving harmony between the people’s will and the activity of Parliament is the capable use of sociological information, avoiding at the same time the danger of embarking on the way to political populism: public opinion must control Parliament but it must not replace the constitutional forms of such a control.

All these ideals of parliamentary work are also pursued by the Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu) in its continuing work of harmonising Estonian legislation with the European Union law.

Full article in Estonian

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