The Executive Triangle in Estonia: Explaining the Low Level of Politicization of Top Bureaucrats

There is no systematic information, either historical or contemporary, on the careers of Estonian politicians, political advisers, and top bureaucrats. Neither government institutions nor academics have collected empirical data on their career paths, which makes the present study both unique and novel. The study builds on Corex dataset by empirically mapping the educational background, all career steps and political experience of 75 key politicians, chief political advisers and top bureaucrats in the Estonian Executive Triangle as of 1 July 2024. The results highlight the diverse career paths of top bureaucrats, which often include experience in the private sector, NGOs, and EU or international organisations. By contrast, politicians and chief advisers have typically pursued careers primarily within politics and the public sector. Despite this, the politicization of top bureaucrats is surprisingly low in Estonia. De jure, it is possible to move between the political and administrative spheres, however, de facto, such a movement is very rare. The paper aims at explaining low politicization in Estonia by looking at the historic and institutional contexts as well as considering the specific characteristics related to the smallness of the country.