Estonia considers making Constitution Day a new flag day
The Constitutional Committee of the Riigikogu has supported the proposal to designate Constitution Day, to be celebrated on June 15, as a day of national importance and flag day.
The proposal to establish Constitution Day was submitted by Archibald-Stiwan Kald, a representative of the nonprofit Õiglase Riigi Nimel.
The Constitutional Committee first discussed it on May 28, then revisited it during its October 8 meeting. The proposal had received the committee's support in May already, but at the October meeting, additional suggestions were made involving other holidays as well.
As a result, the committee decided to order an analysis of the matter.
According to a unanimous committee decision, the Legal and Research Department of the Chancellery of the Riigikogu has been tasked with drawing up an analysis in order to gain a comprehensive overview of Estonia's public holidays, days of national importance as well as flag days.
This study should examine the current overall picture, how it developed and what changes could be made. It should also compare Estonia's holidays with those of Latvia and Finland.
On June 15, 1920, the Constituent Assembly adopted the first Constitution of the Republic of Estonia, which entered into force on December 21 that year, Kald highlighted, explaining the choice of date.
He believes that Constitution Day should be established and celebrated because the current global situation is a threat to democracy, and it is important to more seriously emphasize the value of democracy.
Speaking at the committee's May 28 meeting, Kald mentioned that he has noticed in his work that many people don't understand what democracy really is. Since the Estonian Constitution is a cornerstone of the Republic of Estonia, and the first Estonian Constitution was adopted on June 15, 1920, in the White Hall of Toompea Castle, this date should be designated as a day of national importance and flag day.
Estonia's neighboring countries celebrate their own respective Constitution Days as a flag day or even a public holiday, he noted, adding that Estonia should join this list as well, to highlight the importance of the Constitution and to promote democracy.
Other potential changes were discussed at that meeting as well, including making Children's Day – currently celebrated on June 1 as Child Protection Day – a public holiday and designating Nationalities Day as a flag day on September 24.
Differences of opinion arose within the committee over whether designating Children's Day as a new public holiday in Estonia would add another day off to the calendar, and what impact this would have on the economy.
Questions were also raised about the necessity of establishing Nationalities Day as a new day of national importance, as well as its close proximity to Resistance Day, a flag day observed on September 22.
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Editor: Mait Ots, Aili Vahtla