Olgem eestlased, aga saagem ka eurooplasteks!”: Estonia's Experience of European Integration

On 20 August, 1991, Estonia proclaimed the restoration of its independence following the “Singing Revolution”, a non-violent nationalist struggle against the Soviet Union, and the country almost immediately embarked on a dramatic program of integration into pan-European organisations, most notably the European Union and NATO. While nationalism and European integration are often held to be contradictory ideologies, particularly with the rise of Eurosceptic populism across the continent in recent years, I argue that this is not always the case. Estonian integration into Europe has in fact been driven by traditional nationalist concerns of identity, security, and autonomy. Viewed in this light, Estonia's post-Soviet history provides a number of insights into the European project and nationalism itself.