Põhiseadusliku patriotismi potentsiaal rahvusluse asendajana Eestis
Date
2012
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Tartu Ülikool
Abstract
Since its re-independence in 1991, Estonia has had an immense economic and political success - especially if compared to other ex-soviet states - it has joined NATO and European Union, it is also the only ex-soviet state to adopt the euro currency.
But in society-level, it has one large problem still unsolved. One third of the population - the non-Estonians, mainly Russians - are not well-integrated in the society. 7% of the population are Russian citizens and almost as much do not have any citizenship. As non-citizens, their rights on the highest level - voting - are limited to local councils only, the cannot vote or in Parliamentary elections. Even more, many Russians are primarily influenced by Russian state-media and other info channels, leaving them outcast in Estonian society.
After the Bronze Riots in state's capital Tallinn in 2007 April, where atmosphere of national conflict rose to unprecedented level since the re-independence, a state-wide debate began in Estonia, primarily about how to improve the integration process and how to further avoid such conflicts.
In 2009. Estonian state Ombudsman Indrek Teder reflected, that maybe the best solution to unite the state population as one would be concentrating on the idea of constitutional patriotism instead of nationalism.
"Citizens' connection with their country should be rational and based on proven values, not in irrational nationalism and passion", Indrek Teder said. (Teder 2009)
But constitutional patriotism is also a still a theoretical concept, which means it isn't proven to be the main basis of any state's national identity and should not be as the only basis of a nation's identity.
Estonia cannot be compared to other states that are sometimes brought out as examples of implementing constitutional patriotism (Germany, USA), simply because of our unique geopolitical issues. It might be said that Estonia must be in constant defense position, as long as its neighbor state Russia is politically aggressive and anti-liberal. Nationalism, which was contraindicated to German identity because of their difficult history of its improper use, is preferable in Estonia's position, considering our history of its (Estonian nationalism's) suppression by our neighboring nation. Its removal from the core of citizens' identity would be unrealistic, not to say a security risk.
This paper explains that constitutional patriotism has many valuable arguments that should be or already are part of Estonian citizens' identity such as attachment to liberal democracy, equality of all men, etc. Also, it is found that universal constitutional values should be more stressed in Estonian society, but that does not mean abandoning nationalism, just equilibrating it.