Prime Minister: Never Again Alone
Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, whose cabinet ratified the ESM Treaty and fought for it at a Supreme Court hearing in May, commended Thursday's decision by the court that the ESM is in line with Estonia's constitution.
"The Supreme Court has found that our sovereignty is protected through cooperation not isolation. And that is the most important part of this court ruling,” Ansip said at this week's government press conference.
The prime minister said the ruling sets a precedent for the future.
“The Supreme Court has said that if the future holds a more extensive transfer of powers, which is a very theoretical possibility, then we should turn to the people with the goal of changing or supplementing our constitution,” Ansip said.
"As for myself, I fully expected this ruling. I have always believed that our interests are protected through cooperation. In the last 20 years, Estonia's primary foreign policy goal has been integration with various European institutions. Our objective is to never again be left alone,” Ansip said.
The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the Treaty Establishing the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) is in accordance with the Constitution of Estonia.
In March, Justice Chancellor Indrek Teder, the nation's legal ombudsman, challenged the constitutionality of a provision in the treaty establishing the ESM, taking the position that all decisions on granting aid must be made unanimously among member states, not with the 85 percent majority stated in article four of the treaty.
Ott Tammik