Estonia

A debate over LGBT+ rights became heated as Estonia battled the Covid-19 crisis in 2020. The ruling coalition’s collapse in January 2021 meant that the discussion was suddenly curtailed, and the contentious referendum on the definition of marriage planned for spring cancelled. Where next for the fight for LGBT+ rights now the issue recedes from the spotlight?

Tens of thousands of Estonian workers commute to Finland, said to be the world’s happiest nation. Silja Kudel examines Estonia’s ongoing struggle with ‘brain drain’.

The Baltic Sea region is a precarious and sensitive area – and increasingly so due to the competing influences and power games playing out between various actors in the region.