Public Opinion and the 10th Riigikogu in Media Studies
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Sociologist, International Centre for Defence Studies
The parliament embodies the state’s highest authority – the representation of the Estonian people. Thus one of the most important criteria for the Riigikogu’s activity is its trustworthiness in the public eye.
The 10th Riigikogu has enjoyed great support from the electorate since it took office. The original trustworthiness level of all previous assemblies was lower; after several years in office they were not able to keep more than half of the trust of the populace.
No doubt it is not a case of an extraordinarily powerful Riigikogu, but more of a change in the social climate, greater maturity of public opinion – in other words, the opportunities afforded by parliament are more keenly perceived. It is worth noting that despite fairly numerous critical articles, there have not been fundamental changes in the parliament’s trustworthiness during the first year.