|
The capital of Estonia is Tallin, its area measures 45,227 square kilometres, the population is made up of 1,351,000 inhabitants, the gross domestic product is 7.4 billion Euros. The inflation is 3.4%, its unemployment rate is 9.7%, the deficit is +0.5%,with a balance in surplus and its National debt is 4.8%. Estonia proclaimed its indipendence from Sovietiv Union in August 1991 and its republican constitution was ratified by a people referendum on 28th June 1992. Estonia has a parliamentary form og government, with a President elected every 5 years by a mono-cameral Parliament. The 101 deputies who makes up the Parliament are elected every 4 years by a proportional system with the blocking clause fixed at the 5% of the votes. The present President of Republic is Arnold Ruutel, in office since 2001. The last political elections held on 2nd March 2003 brought to the Government a centre-rightist coalition, made up of the “Res Publica” party, the Reformation party and People’s union party. The coalition was driven by Res Publica leader, Juan Parts. In March 2005 the Government was forced to resign by a vote of no-confidence. The President of Republic appointed Andrus Ansip Premier on the 2nd April 2005. He is the leader of a centre coalition among the Reformaon party, People’s Union and the centre party that substituted Res Publica within the majority. Estonia, new adhesion-country, joined the European Union the 1st May 2004. On the adhesion referendum, held in September 2003, “Yes” passed with the 67% of the votes, one of the lowest percentages among the new adhesion-countries. Just 6 seats out of 732 are for Estonia within the European Parliament, and its territory is made up of just one electoral district. On the 13th June 2004 elections, the centre-rightist parties had a bad result, The former Prime Minister’s party, Res Publica, and People’s Union party didn’t even get 1 seat. The Reformation party get 1 seat, and its deput joined the European Democratics; the conservative party “Union for fatherland” gained one seat as well, and its deputy joined the European Popular group. The winners of the elections were the Social-Democratics, who gained 3 seats and joined the European Socialist Party. The last seat went to the Centre party, whose deputy joined the European Liberal and Democratic group. The affluence to the polls was 26.89% of the voting people, one of the lowest in the 2004 elections, negative record just broken by Poland and Slovakia. Within the European Commission, leaded by Barroso, the Estonian commissary is Siim Kellas, Vice-president and responsible for the Administrative affairs, the Audit and the fight against fraud.
|
