Nordic identity in Estonia


Nordic identity in Estonia refers to opinions that Estonia belongs among the Nordic countries or that it should/will be considered as such in the future. The current mainstream view outside of Estonia does not usually include it among them. Categorizing Estonia as a Nordic country is common in Estonia.
A push towards being defined as a Nordic country has existed in independent Estonia since the war of independence in 1918. The Scandinavian connection from the Estonian Viking Age and later from being a part of the Danish and Swedish Empires left a lasting influence on the creation of the Estonian identity during the national awakening.

Public attitudes

53.3% of ethnically Estonian youth consider belonging in the Nordic identity group as important or very important for them. 52.2% have the same attitude towards the "Baltic" identity group, according to a research study from 2013.
Sociologist Mikko Lagerspetz has observed that the attitudes towards the Nordic identity in the Estonian society can be grouped in three: 1) Estonia is already a Nordic country; 2) Estonia needs to become a Nordic country but is not there yet; 3) Estonia should walk its own unique path.

Modern political narrative

An important element in Estonia's post-independence reorientation has been closer ties with the Nordic countries, especially Finland and Sweden. In December 1999, then Estonian foreign minister Toomas Hendrik Ilves delivered a speech entitled "Estonia as a Nordic Country" to the Swedish Institute for International Affairs. In 2003, the foreign ministry also hosted an exhibit called "Estonia: Nordic with a Twist". In 1999, the foreign minister Toomas Hendrik Ilves's speech in the Swedish Foreign Policy Institute of "Estonia as a new Nordic country".
In 2015, the Estonian prime minister Taavi Rõivas defined the country's narrative as a "New Nordic Country", or "Uus Põhjamaa".
A conference comprising the heads of the coalition government was held in September 2016, discussing Estonia's outlook as a Nordic country.
Kersti Kaljulaid, president of Estonia since 2016, commented on views of then Estonian foreign minister Ilves, saying that she does not want to use "loaded words" like Nordic or Baltic but prefers to call like-minded countries of northern Europe the "Nordic Benelux".
The Nordic narrative is also communicated by government agencies:
When state-owned Estonian flag carrier was renamed as Nordica in 2016, Erik Sakkov, then board member of the company, explained the airline's naming with Estonia's continual self-identification among Nordic countries and with country's leaders wish to emphasize it in the name of the national carrier. However, similar explanation by Sakkov which was published on Nordica homepage in English, claimed that motivation behind naming was Estonia's alignment with "Northern Europe" and country's leaders wish to reflect that.
The Swedish ambassador to Estonia, Mr. Anders Ljunggren, has claimed in 2015 that Estonia would have been considered a Nordic country by the other Nordic countries, "had the history been different...The differences between Estonia and Sweden have become less year by year, owing to the fact that the two countries have gotten to know each other more each year".

Criticism

The Tuglas foundation has claimed that the Nordic definition that Estonia is moving towards does not exist anymore, being a relic of past times.
Per Högselius wrote an opinion piece about the topic in 2003, looking at the idea as fringe, but concluding that "in time the Estonians might be able to persuade us".

Historic contacts with the Nordic Council

The Nordic Council had historically been a strong supporter of Estonian independence from the Soviet Union. The Nordic Council of Ministers' Office in Estonia was opened in spring 1991.