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91. Enhancing Minority Governance in Romania. Report on the Presentation on Cultural Autonomy to the Romanian Government

Author:
Christopher Decker
Publication Date:
03-2005
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI)
Abstract:
ECMI organized the first event of the “Improving Inter-Ethnic Relations through Enhanced Minority Governance” project on 3 February 2005 in Bucharest, Romania. The deputy prime minister, the head of the Department for Inter-ethnic Relations and four members of parliament attended the meeting. ECMI and two experts met with the group in the Government Building to discuss the issues surrounding cultural autonomy and the draft law on the status of national minorities. The purpose of the meeting was to provide the government with information concerning the issue of cultural autonomy for the draft law on the status of national minorities, which is currently being drafted by the Hungarian Democratic Union from Romania (UDMR) and the other 18 national minority parties represented in the Chamber of Deputies. This report seeks to provide an account of the presentations and discussions that took place during this meeting, including the theory and practicalities of cultural autonomy and the model of cultural autonomy used in Estonia.
Topic:
Demographics, Government, and Human Rights
Political Geography:
Europe, Estonia, and Romania

92. Marginality or Provinciality: Pskov and Ivangorod at the Intersection of Russia's Transborder Relations

Author:
Andrey Makarychev
Publication Date:
10-2004
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS)
Abstract:
My intention in this paper is to analyze the state of trans-border relationship between Russia, on the one hand, and Latvia and Estonia, on the other, in terms of interplay between central and non-central actors. Two basic concepts–that ones of marginality and provinciality–will be used as points of departure and compared with each other. Each of these concepts develops its own narrative and a discursive strategy. In some instances, these narratives may smoothly complement each other; and yet in other occurrences, they conflict in a manner that fuels "a battle of the story".
Topic:
International Relations and Regional Cooperation
Political Geography:
Russia, Eastern Europe, Estonia, and Latvia

93. From a Recipient of Aid Towards an Independent Actor: The Impacts of EU Integration on Estonia's Civil Society

Author:
Kristi Raik
Publication Date:
01-2002
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA)
Abstract:
In recent scholarly and political debates, civil society has often been considered one of the weakest, if not the weakest aspect of democracy in the Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs). Although the Eastern EU applicant states have been fairly successful in establishing democratic institutions and formal procedures, all of them suffer from political apathy and alienation of the citizens, low public trust in state authorities, and general dissatisfaction with the functioning of democracy – even though democracy is valued in principle. In the face of these problems, activation of a sphere of civic initiative and organisation is seen by many analysts as one important means for improving the quality of democracy. Support to the development of civil society has also been an increasingly important aspect of EU policy aimed at strengthening democracy in the Eastern candidate countries. In addition to supporting civic activity in general, the EU has in recent years started to pay attention to the involvement of civil society in the Eastern enlargement process. It has been underlined that in order to guarantee the legitimacy and effectiveness of integration, citizens and nongovernmental actors should play a stronger role in the candidate countries' preparations for EU accession.
Topic:
Democratization and Development
Political Geography:
Europe, Eastern Europe, and Estonia

94. Towards Linguistic Diversity Management in the Baltic States

Author:
Vadim Poleshchuk
Publication Date:
05-2002
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI)
Abstract:
Different foreign rulers have controlled Estonia and Latvia for 700 years. In 1920, both countries attained independence from Bolshevik Russia. However, the period of the countries' first independence was short: Estonia and Latvia were incorporated into the USSR in 1940.
Topic:
Civil Society, Development, and Regional Cooperation
Political Geography:
Russia, Eastern Europe, Estonia, and Latvia

95. Some Aspects of Defence Sector Development in Lithuania

Author:
Robertas Sapronas
Publication Date:
04-2002
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF)
Abstract:
During the first half of the 1990s all Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, including the three Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, were struggling through the difficult process of transition toward a democratic system and market economy. The transformations of the post Cold War era had profound effects on practically every sector of the respective societies, which had to find their new role and place in the new world.
Topic:
Defense Policy, Cold War, Democratization, and Politics
Political Geography:
Eastern Europe, Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia

96. Monitoring the EU Accession Process: Judicial Independence

Publication Date:
09-2001
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Open Society Foundations
Abstract:
The EU Accession Monitoring Program of the Open Society Institute was initiated in 2000 to encourage independent monitoring of the process by which the European Union is considering applications for membership from the ten candidate States of Central and Eastern Europe. The Program aims to contribute to this historic process by producing monitoring reports to complement the evaluations already being conducted by the European Commission, as reflected in its annual “Regular Reports” on candidate States’ progress towards meeting accession criteria. The enlargement of the European Union is a positive development, and independent monitoring is one means of magnifying its beneficial effects, both within the candidate States and in the EU itself.
Topic:
Regional Cooperation, European Union, and Nation-State
Political Geography:
Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Bulgaria, Romania, Latvia, Czech Republic, Slovenia, and Slovakia

97. What kind of Democracy, Whose Integration? Construction of democracy and integration into the EU of Estonia

Author:
Kristi Raik
Publication Date:
01-2000
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA)
Abstract:
Integration into the European Union has for many years been one of the top priorities of the Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs), playing a central role in both their foreign and domestic policies. Preparing for membership in the EU is in many ways connected to the development of democracy in these countries. The Union has declared support to democracy in the applicant countries to be one of the main priorities of eastern enlargement. In addition to concrete support, however, I argue that the relevance of the EU for democracy in the CEECs is even more due to indirect influence – integration is a dominant issue in the domestic politics of these countries and therefore an important part of continuous (re)production of democracy. This paper studies what kind of democracy has been constructed in one of the eastern applicant countries, Estonia, in the course of integration into the EU It analyses firstly the different conceptions of democracy that have been presented and put into practice as part of that process. Secondly, it places integration into the EU in the context of democratic politics of Estonia, asking whether preparations for EU membership have left room for more than a formal democracy to function.
Topic:
Democratization
Political Geography:
Europe, Eastern Europe, and Estonia

98. Ethnic Democracy and Estonia: Application of Smooha's Model

Author:
Priit Järve
Publication Date:
07-2000
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI)
Abstract:
This paper applies a model of ethnic democracy elaborated by Professor Sammy Smooha of Haifa University, Israel, to Estonia, a case which is usually regarded as marginal in this regard. This application shows that Estonia can be characterised as a combination of a strongly-defined ethnic democracy (citizens of the core ethnic nation are dominating the other citizens) and a control system (citizens of the core ethnic nation are dominating the stateless individuals of non-core ethnic origin). As the number of stateless persons is diminishing, the system of control slowly disappears and ethnic democracy may prevail. The legal foundation of ethnic democracy in Estonia is in the Preamble of its Constitution.
Topic:
Democratization and Ethnic Conflict
Political Geography:
Israel, Eastern Europe, and Estonia

99. Developing a Methodology for Conflict Prevention: The Case of Estonia

Author:
Joyce Neu and Vamik Volkan
Publication Date:
12-1999
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The Carter Center
Abstract:
In April 1994, with Russian troops still stationed in Estonia, The Carter Center's Conflict Resolution Program (CRP) joined with International Negotiation Network (INN) members Vamik Volkan of the University of Virginia's Center for the Study of Mind and Human Interaction (CSMHI) and Harold Saunders of the Kettering Foundation to implement a set of workshops. The three-year series aimed to reduce tensions on two fronts: between Russia and Estonia and between Russians in Estonia and Estonians.
Topic:
Conflict Prevention and Ethnic Conflict
Political Geography:
Russia, Europe, Eastern Europe, and Estonia

100. Dealing with the Past: The Case of Estonia

Author:
Hanna Järä
Publication Date:
01-1999
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA)
Abstract:
An essential challenge facing a society in transition stems from the legacy of the former power elite. A compelling need to restore moral order by the assessment of the abdication of the rule of law and violations of human rights requires an opportunity to face the past and its consequences. The process of dealing with the past includes a strong commitment to revealing the truth and redressing the past. The critical question around the issue is what is considered a proper reaction towards leaders and perpetrators who were responsible for oppressive activities and other violations of human rights, many of whom remain part of the new political structures or hold important positions in public life. The central tension is between the politics of compromise, the essence of which is to leave the past intact, and the radical notion of justice. Thus, the key dilemma facing the emerging democracies is whether past violations should be forgotten or confronted, forgiven or prosecuted.
Topic:
Conflict Resolution, Civil Society, Democratization, and Sovereignty
Political Geography:
Eastern Europe and Estonia