3. ERSP (The Estonian National Independence Party and the rise of political parties) скачать в хорошем качестве

3. ERSP (The Estonian National Independence Party and the rise of political parties)

As the Soviet Union was a single-party state ruled by the Communist Party, the mere idea that there could be other parties was considered subversive. Yet in January 1988, inspired by Hirvepark, 14 brave men and women made a public call to establish an organization to be called the Estonian National Independence Party (Estonian acronym: ERSP). In this way, they sought to challenge to the Communist Party’s decades-long monopoly on power. In summer 1988, hundreds of patriotic, pro-democracy Estonians rallied behind the idea of national independence and ERSP was duly founded on 20 August that year in Pilistvere, a central Estonian town with strong cultural traditions. ERSP represented a genuine political alternative to the Communist Party, based on the demand for a completely independent nation-state. ERSP’s first leaders were Lagle Parek, Eve Pärnaste, Vello Salum and Mati Kiirend. ERSP marked a historic break with the communist taboo against other political parties and paved the way for a multiparty system. ERSP’s founding transformed the political map and gave people confidence that freedom would ultimately be possible. From that time on, the number of parties grew rapidly, and soon Estonia had more than 30 parties. ERSP played a major role in Estonia’s political struggle for independence. On 2 December 1995, the party merged into Pro Patria, a like-minded national conservative party.