Constitutional crisis in the Republic of Estonia in 1932—1934
- DOI
- 10.5922/vestnikhum-2025-4-8
- Pages
- 91-104
Abstract
In the early 1930s, the Republic of Estonia faced serious economic problems, and the country’s political forces proved unable to cope with the challenges of the crisis period. The flaws of the political system were embedded at the constitutional level, which forced the parliament to initiate the process of drafting amendments to the country’s fundamental law. In 1932—1933, three nationwide referenda were held: two constitutional drafts prepared by the parliament were deemed unsatisfactory by the population, after which preference was given to an extra-parliamentary draft of amendments, which ultimately proved fatal for democracy in the country. Against the backdrop of the upcoming presidential elections, Konstantin P?ts, temporarily acting as president under the new constitution, carried out a coup d'?tat. This article examines all three constitutional drafts submitted to general referendums. The process of drafting amendments in each case is analyzed, the nature of the proposed changes is determined, and the consequences of each referendum are assessed. According to the authors, the amendments submitted in the first referendum were more competent and well-considered than those presented in the third referendum, and the failure of the original amendments resulted from the active propaganda of certain actors rather than from the nature of the amendments themselves. Moreover, the article argues that the delay in resolving the constitutional issue ultimately led to irreversible consequences, including a military coup and the establishment of P?ts’ personal dictatorship.