Kristi Raik, Director of the Estonian Foreign Policy Institute of the ICDS discussed Estonia’s security policy in the context of the parliamentary elections to the Finnish Public Broadcasting Yle.
Raik noted strong domestic consensus on defence policy amidst increased uncertainty in the security environment. The focus of the Estonian debate has moved from the Russian threat, which remains a constant factor, to weaknesses on the Western side that make the West more vulnerable to Russia’s influence. Estonia works to maintain strong transatlantic relations in spite of current tensions between Europe and the US.
On the election night, Raik commented on the main issues, cleavages and changes in the Estonian political landscape. Although the rise of the national conservative party EKRE was a significant change, continuity was a stronger factor seen in these elections – the main orientation of Estonia was not about to change.
Read more and listen the discussions at Yle in Finnish: