No. 6

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No. 6, December 2002

The heavy burden of power. The Riigikogu, government and constitution. Rules of order in the Riigikogu. The institution of the president. The public nature of Riigikogu sessions and voting. Pay and benefits for members of parliament. Social capital. Applied studies. Active state labor policy. The development of a civic society. Estonia´s eastern relations.

Summaries of articles are in English.

Full articles in Estonian

Editor-in-Chief’s Column

Essay

  • Power – the heaviest burden

    17 December 2002

    Essay

    RiTo No. 6, 2002

    It takes quite a bit of time for a democratic society to crystallize. In order for society to develop a firm moral underpinning and such a respected body of citizens, many other factors besides time are required, such as people who understand and contribute to the social and cultural fabric in sufficient number as to form a kind of cooperation-revering critical mass that would be able to, and indeed desire to, keep society within certain boundaries and not permit the borders of tolerance to be exceeded. Considering Estonian history, academics should take the place of noblemen, for they truly revere honor and dignity above all and serve their own people in the first order.

Politics

Constitutional institutions

  • Making leadership of the nation simpler and more understandable

    The whole world faces the need to reappraise its convictions in the field of economy, foreign policy, national defense, demographics and many other areas. The Prime Minister proposes entrusting the Riigikogu to supervise the State Audit Office, which should be transformed into a body controlling the actions of the government. A review board should be selected from MPs; it would appoint an official who would serve as chief inspector.

  • The death of the presidency

    Nearly all parties have announced their intention to see the constitution in future contain a principle according to which the president would be popularly and directly elected. This consensus entails but one question: if all parties stand behind their promises with such solidarity, something must be rotten. Ask yourselves whether Estonia really needs a president at all.

Studies

Civil society and state authority

International parliamentary relations

History of the Parliament

  • Party leader summits in the mid-1990s

    From March 1994 to July 1995, four Estonian party summits took place at the behest of the Centre Party. Two were followed by continued meetings where unfinished business was discussed, and by the work of various work groups. The summit, planned as an extraordinary event, gave rise to a tradition of summits over a period of 18 months or so. Since July 1995, there have not been as many well-attended summits, though subsequent years have seen a number of roundtables held in various forms and levels.

Literature and Databases

Art gallery

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