Difference between revisions of "Esthonia"

Revision as of 16:13, 4 December 2006

Esthonia

Flag of Esthonia
Motto: Our Unity Is Our Strength!
No Map
Region	Scandinavia
Capital	Reval
Official Language(s)	Esthonian
Leader	People's Convention
Population	333 million
Currency	Esthonian Florin (ETF)
NS Sunset XML

The Commonwealth of Esthonia is a nation located in the region of Scandinavia. The population is about 440 million, the capital is Reval.

Politics

The Commonwealth of Esthonia can be considered a dictatorship or a democracy depending on how these concepts are interpreted by public. If it is a dictatorship, it is a parliamentary dictatorship; if it is a democracy, it is a democracy without political parties and freedoms. More likely it is a combination of different forms of government, leaning towards authoritarian rule.

People's Convention

People's Convention is the parliament of Esthonia and the highest authority in the country. It has one chamber comprised of 81 members elected by the people for 6 years. The Convention appoints the members of the Committee of Public Safety and the Committee of General Security from among its own elected membership. The Convention has the highest legislative power in the country, although it can delegate some of its legislative authority to the Committees.

The People's Convention is chaired by a four-member board. The Chairman of the Convention is currently Mr. Thomas Warwick (1948). He is assisted by two Vice-Chairmen and a Secretary.

Head of State

After the administrative reform in the beginning of 2006 the office of the President was abolished. The functions of the Head of State are now performed by the Chairman of the People's Convention. This post is currently being held by Mr. Thomas Warwick (1948).

Committee of Public Safety

The highest executive powers in Esthonia are vested in the 12-member Committee of Public Safety (CPS), comprised by the memebers of the People's Convention and elected by the People's Convention. The members of the Committee are not revealed to the public, they are known only inside the Convent and to the officials subject to the Committee. The members of the Committee are elected for a non-fixed term, but they can be recalled from their office by the majority of the Convention and they will be removed from their office if they lose their seat in the Convention.

The only official known to the public is the Executive Secretary of the Committee. This office is currently held by Mr. Thomas Sebastian (1979).

The policies of the Committee are carried out by the Directorates headed by Directors. The post of a Director is similar to the one of a first secretary or a chancellor. They are not politicians, but officials. Directors are appointed for a non-fixed term by the Committee of Public Safety.

Committee of General Security

The Committee of General Security (CGS) is the watchdog of the new order in Esthonia. Although elected by the People's Convention, its members cannot be removed from office unless the majority of the Committee itself decides to terminate someone's membership. Although initially members of the Convention, their mandate in the Committee does not end with the loss of a seat in the Convention.

This 5-member Committee does not take part in the everyday administration of the country, but it has the right and duty to act in the state of crisis and also to take extraordinary measures to ensure the continuity of the present political order. For this it maintains control over two powerful institutions – the Office of Special Affairs and the Office of National Observation.

Political parties

Political parties are outlawed in Esthonia. At earlier times all political activities were organised through one organisation called the People's Front of Esthonia. However, it was disbanded in 2006 to create a completely apolitical society.

All candidates for elections can be set up directly by citizens or through different trade unions.

Elections

Election to the People's Convention is held in every six years. Local election is held in every four years. All other elections and referendums are outlawed. Voting at the election is compulsory.

Public administration

A new programme has been implemented since 1 October 2006 to downgrade the bureaucracy-choked government and to establish a more effective system of public administration with the same amount of central power, but with less officials.

International affairs

The Commonwealth of Esthonia is a member of the United Nations, but is well-known for being a vocal opponent of all tries by that international organisation to regulate the internal politics of individual countries. In all international conflicts Esthonia has adopted neutrality, but it has granted asylum to a number of ousted heads of states.

Economy

The Commonwealth struggles with economy due to its centralised and autarchic approach. Almost all enterprises are owned by the government, but they operate on the same principles as private companies. All profit needs to be reinvested though. The share of private ownership is limited to 40% in all companies and is considerably lower in strategically important sectors (transportation, health, energy, etc). Foreign citizens and companies cannot do business in Esthonia.

There are some private enterprises in Esthonia, mostly insurance companies. The share of private ownership is relatively high also in car parts manufacturing and information technology sectors. Little privatisation has been allowed also in arms manufacturing, especially in companies producing for export.

There is an extensive safety-testing programme for all products manufactured in Esthonia. The same programme serves also as a protection against import products.

Electricity is produced mainly in two huge nuclear power stations getting their fuel from the national uranium mines. More nuclear plants will be built in next 10 years to start energy export to neighbouring countries.

Esthonia has a proportional income tax. The overall tax burden on Esthonian citizens including both direct and indirect taxes is in average 79%. Esthonia's currency is the Esthonian Florin (ETF). It is freely convertable.

Environment

Considered for years an environmentally stunning country, rich of forests and natural pure water reserves, Esthonia's environment was seriously damaged when uranium was found there and a uranium mining company established. Recently numerous nature protection and environment restoration programmes have been started to alleviate the situation, but it has resulted in considerable raise of the income tax and other taxes. City development has been seriously restricted to provide the citizens with green holiday areas and uncontaminated natural reservates as near as possible to their urban settlements. The first results are already visible.

Infrastructure

A new programme for building roads and highways was started in September 2006 to improve the transportation network of Esthonia.

In city centres traffic jams have remained a problem, but a new tax was applied to all cars entering major city centres in October 2006. Only public transport, emergency and government vehicles are allowed to pass and park in the centres without having to pay a fee.

Public transport is well funded. Preference is given to sea transport and trains where possible.

Public Health

All citizens of the Commonwealth have an access to free healthcare. Medical products are heavily subsidised by the government and therefore affordable to all people.

National embryo-screening programme has been introduced to remove embryos with severe genetic disorders. Population growth is controlled by the government. Due to the embryo-screening programme abortions are legal, but only in cases approved by medical staff. Abortion can be performed in case of a damaged embryo, on grounds of direct threat to mother's health or to terminate rape-resulted pregnancies. Once past the embryo-screening programme maternity is encouraged and supported by the state in every way, including six-month fully paid maternity leave.

Euthanasia is legal and encouraged by the government for severely impaired people with incurable illnesses. Elderly people without serious disabilities or incurable illnesses can opt for a life without a pension in luxurious retirement homes with 24 hour free services provided by the government or they can continue living at their homes and receive medium-size pensions.

Smoking has been banned in all public places in the interest of public health.

Media and Publishing

Most media channels, including television, radio, newspapers and journals are owned by the government. Esthonian News Agency (ENA) is the official news resource for Esthonian publications. Some private journals and newspapers exist, but they are monitored by government-appointed boards and provide mostly reading material for entertainment.

There are both private and state-owned publishing companies, but their production is monitored by censorship boards appointed by the Committee of Public Safety. Non-approved books can be sold in theory, but in practice they will not be included in library collections or sold by any major book stores.

Education and Science

Education

Education is free for everyone from kindergarten till post-graduate studies. In October 2006 new secondary education laws were implemented. Size of classes has been downgraded and more funds are being poored in training teachers and renovating schoolhouses.

An extensive language study programme has been implemented, requiring all citizens to obtain at least basic knowledge in five foreign languages by the graduation of secondary school.

Science

The government has legalised cloning which has become the main focus of Esthonia's scientific research and experiments. Special attention is being paid to reviving extinct species including the feather-bellied vulture, a species related to the national bird of Esthonia, the vulture.

Culture and Customs

Culture

The State in general does not fund cultural activities. People are expected to deal with cultural activities in their spare time or to produce only works that are profitable. This is part of the new policy to cut subsidies to all special interest groups. Creators can apply for so-called cultural loans from the State or to try to get their works published/staged under the National Prosperity Programme which mainly subsidises cultural works on topics determined by Government. This policy is the result of trying to keep balance between tax rates and free public services.

Religion

Most people in Esthonia belong to various Protestant churches. However, recently the Committee of Public Safety has started to favour Catholic functionaries as advisors to the Government. Both the Committee and the Convention have been rumoured to have divided in the question of religion: it has been proposed to create the Church of Esthonia operated and governed by state-appointed officials and curb down the activities of all other churches. So far the proponents of religious diversity and freedom have prevailed.

Churches are not supported by the State, but they are also not subject to taxation.

Sexuality

Legal age of consent is the same for heterosexual and homosexual relationships – 16 years of age. Homosexual relationships are legal, but gay marriages are not recognised.

Prostitution is legalised in the Commonwealth of Esthonia. It is completely government controlled. Directorate of Public Health is responsible for establishing and operating brothels.

Law and Order

The police and security are the top priorities of the government, receiving the most funding. Thanks to the all-pervasive police force crime is almost unknown. The omnipresent officials of the Committee of General Security (CGS) keep an eye on all suspicious activities and monitor the internet usage of Esthonian citizens. A number of web sites are blocked on security reasons.

A new law approved on 10 October 2006 called The Watchman Edict has brought along further improvement of security in the country and has increased the influence of the police. It states that all public areas in cities are to be surveilled by audio-video devices 24 hours a day and a central network of those surveillance systems is to be established in the next two years. Another law from 4 December 2006 makes identity cards equipped with traceable microchips mandatory for all citizens.

The People's Convention has legalised death sentence for all crimes that cause the loss of other person's life, including drunk driving. Sexual crimes can be punished by castration. It is quite usual for the courts and law enforcement agencies to seize the property of criminals and use it to compensate the victims of crimes.

The judges to the (supreme) People's Court are appointed for lifetime by the Committee of Public Safety. In September 2006 people and international community were surprised by nomination of a well-known liberal and civil rights activist to the People's Court.

Having always had a very strict immigration policy, in 2006 a decision was adopted by the Committee of Public Safety to grant political asylum only by the decision of the People's Convention. This basically cut the number of common immigrants to zero. Refuge has been granted to influential businessmen and politicians seeking protection from international courts and legal proceedings in their own countries. All illegal immigrants will be deported to the country of their origin in 3 working days and in cases of disobedience can be executed on location by border guard.

Armed Forces

The Armed Forces of Esthonia are based on conscription, with men serving 12 months. It is well funded, but not as powerful as police and security units. Navy is the preferred branch of armed forces receiving the most funding and exercising the greatest power. The attempts of Air Forces and Army to change the situation have been futile.

There are rumours of an extensive nuclear and biological weapon programme being in progress.