Thirty Years of the Estonian Foreign Ministers' Speech to the Riigikogu

On February 17, 1994, Foreign Minister Jüri Luik held a speech on Estonian foreign policy as a nationally important issue in the Riigikogu. This turned into a tradition that has lasted for 30 years. This project examines the foreign ministers’ speeches as a reflection of the foreign policy goals and the self-identification of Estonia through changing times and key international events from 1994 to 2024. The international context that influenced the decisions and choices of Estonia's foreign policy and the development of Estonian diplomacy will be studied, for which the preparation of foreign ministers' speeches, their presentation in the Riigikogu, debates in the Riigikogu and the public during the last 30 years is a good starting point. We start from the understanding that the foreign minister's speech is not just an instrument of foreign policy but lies in between foreign and domestic politics. It is a reflection of Estonian foreign policy as presented to the Riigikogu and the wider Estonian public. The key idea, or question, of the project is how Estonia, unlike in some other policy areas, was able to maintain consensus on foreign policy throughout the post-independence period. We examine the foreign ministers’ speeches mainly from two perspectives: (1) the continuity of Estonia's interests and foreign policy goals (but also fluctuations, especially at the beginning), (2) changes in Estonia's self-perceptions and perceptions of the world and the adaption of the mindset and the "operational code" of Estonian diplomacy to the requirements of the times.