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- Title
1937. aasta põhiseadus -- autoritaarse režumi „reformimise” katse.
- Authors
Kenkmann, Peeter
- Abstract
The coup of 12 March 1934 meant the development of a new situation in Estonian domestic politics. Even though the people who carried out the coup headed by riigivanem (prime minister) Konstantin Päts had supported the constitutional amendments proposed by the vabadussõjalased (a right-wing political movement headed by veterans of the Estonian War of Independence) in the referendum held in the autumn of 1933, they began speaking of yet another renewal of the constitution in the months following the coup. This was justified primarily by the provisions in the constitution of 1933 that allegedly granted the head of state dictatorial powers. After the extraordinary session of the Riigikogu (Estonian Parliament) was cut short on the orders of the riigivanem on 2 October 1934, the persons who carried out the coup announced that the current composition of the Riigikogu would no longer be convened but that parliamentary elections would not be held before the amendment of the constitution. After the plans of the vabadussõjalased to overthrow the government were exposed on 8 December 1935, the country's authoritarian leadership had in its own opinion accumulated sufficient political capital to implement its plan to amend the constitution. A referendum was held on 23-25 February 1936 concerning the convocation of the Rahvuskogu (national assembly), which the people approved by an overwhelming majority. The law was violated in holding the referendum. At the same time, everything other than propaganda supporting the aims of the government was obstructed under the conditions of the authoritarian regime. The elections for the lower chamber of the Rahvuskogu were held on 12-14 December 1936 and supporters of the government achieved an absolute majority. The upper chamber of the Rahvuskogu was formed of representatives of different institutions where supporters of the government similarly dominated. The Rahvuskogu convened for its first session on 19 February 1937 and adopted the draft of the new constitution drawn up according to guidelines from Päts as the basis for its subsequent work without deliberating other versions. The work of the Rahvuskogu was confined to making relatively minor amendments to the draft constitution. It passed the new constitution on 28 July 1937. Riigivanem Konstantin Päts proclaimed the constitution on 17 August 1937 with his decision without holding a referendum on the constitution. That decision was evidently a violation of the constitution that remained in effect. The actions of forces opposed to the authoritarian government had little effect in the context of the constitution of 1937. The Board of the "silent" Riigikogu, which was allowed to continue its activity, sent the riigivanem three memos in 1936-1937 with no results. Opposition politicians tried to express their views by sending the riigivanem the so called Memo from the Former Prime Ministers and by boycotting the Rahvuskogu elections, yet since they had no access to the media and because the activity of political forces was hindered, even they were unable to affect the course of events. The coming into effect of the new constitution on 1 January 1938, and the Riigikogu and presidential elections that followed did not lead to improvement of the political regime -- freedom of the press was not restored and the founding of political parties was not permitted. Thus, the aim of the constitution of 1937 was not the restoration of democracy but rather the continuation of the authoritarian regime that was born in 1934 with the addition of a formally more democratic façade.
- Subjects
ESTONIA; ESTONIAN politics &; government, 1918-1940; COUPS d'etat; CONSTITUTIONS; REFERENDUM; ELECTIONS; PATS, Konstantin, 1874-1956; AUTHORITARIANISM
- Publication
Tuna, 2013, Issue 1, p70
- ISSN
1406-4030
- Publication type
Article