Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence Kristjan Prikk noted that the main security guarantees for Estonia are considered to be membership in NATO, at 53%, the defensive will of the people, at 41%, and the independent defensive capability of Estonia, at 31%.
‘The defensive will of the people is undoubtedly one of the key components in the development of national defence, without our independent national defence model, in which the professional defence force is combined with the reserve forces, would not work. At the same time, the people of Estonia are well aware of the need to constantly develop our independent defence capability, without our Allies and defensive will would have no basis for,’ Prikk said.
The proportion of those expressing a will to defend has remained stable at 80% since 2013.
Seventy-eight per cent of the population prefers to maintain the current structure of the national defence system.
‘The role of women in national defence continues to become more natural, and the level of understanding is increasing among the population,' Prikk added. For the third survey in a row, 78% of respondents, regardless of their gender, expressed the belief that women should have the opportunity to complete conscript service voluntarily.
According to Prikk, at 73%, the residents of Estonia are overwhelmingly supportive of the presence of NATO forces in Estonia. ‘Allied troops are most often characterised by their professionalism, friendliness, good intentions, and courtesy’ Prikk said.
Juhan Kivirähk, who has been conducting public opinion surveys since 2000, noted that support for NATO membership has increased significantly over the past 20 years, rising from 47% to 74%.
In addition, according to Kivirähk, while 20 years ago cooperation and good relations with Russia were considered the main guarantee of security, now it is clearly NATO membership.
‘Throughout the course of the surveys, the level of support for compulsory military service for men has remained remarkably high,’Kivirähk added. He added that it remains at 90%.
National defence instruction in schools has received a high level of steady support in all of the surveys, reaching 83% this time.
Video introduction to the autumn 2019 public opinion survey
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