Diversity policy in employment and service provision - Case study: Tallinn, Estonia

Tallinn’s population composition differs significantly from that of Western European cities in that Russian-speaking residents make up about half of its population. Only in the 1990s did the question of the integration of residents with Russian ethnicity into Estonian society arise. In 2000, the state programme ‘Integration into Estonian Society 2000–2007’ was adopted; which was followed by the ‘Integration Strategy 2008–2013’. Both the state programme and the Integration Strategy emphasise Estonian language proficiency for ‘Russians’. In the end of 2007, the city of Tallinn started to develop its own municipal integration policy intended to ensure equal opportunities for all. A diversity approach in personnel policy has not been implemented yet. In terms of service provision, by contrast, one should highlight a specific service: in order to facilitate access to municipal services by residents with Russian ethnicity, the city provides every official publication and every service in Russian as well in Estonian.