Summary

Is the role of the President in the political life of Estonia sufficient, does it need enhancement or does the President enjoy too great powers? First, the author examines the President’s authority of representation, its historical development and theoretical approaches taken by researchers of various countries in this respect. The purpose of this exercise is to interpret the Estonian Constitution. The author argues that the Constitution confers on the President of Estonia all the powers to represent the state on the international level. Therefore, it is within the discretion of the President to decide whether he represents the state himself or delegates this power to another state authority which is perhaps more competent in a specific issue.

Second, the author analyses the national authority of the President. Particular attention is devoted to the right of the President not to proclaim laws that are unconstitutional. The exercise of this right has made the Supreme Court decide on several disputes regarding the scope of the powers of the President and other state authorities. The author also examines the President’s right to issue legislation and provides the statistics of the legislation adopted by President Meri and President Rüütel.

Finally, the power of the President to represent his country in the European Union is addressed.