5 February 2013 Last updated at 11:58 ET

Estonia country profile

Social Democrat Hendrik Toomas Ilves has occupied the largely cermonial role of president since 2006

President: Toomas Hendrik Ilves

Mr Ilves was first sworn in as president in October 2006.

As head of state, the president is supreme commander of the armed forces and represents Estonia abroad. However, the role is mainly ceremonial.

The president is elected to a five-year term by MPs and local officials. Mr Ilves was re-elected for a second five-year term in August 2011.

Born in 1953, Mr Ilves is a member of the centre-left Social Democratic Party.

Prime minister: Andrus Ansip

The centre-right coalition led by Andrus Ansip increased its parliamentary majority in elections held in March 2011.

Andrus Ansip is the longest-serving prime minister since independence in 1991

Mr Ansip thus bettered his own record of being Estonia's first sitting prime minister to be re-elected since the country quit the Soviet Union in 1991.

He became prime minister in April 2005 and in March 2007 his centre-right Reform Party won parliamentary polls, but with too small a margin to govern alone.

It went on to form a coalition with the conservative Pro Patria-Res Publica (IRL) and the Social Democrats.

The re-election of the coalition in March 2011 was seen as voters rewarding the government for piloting the country through the economic crisis caused by the credit crunch of 2008, and into recovery.

It was also Estonia's first election since joining the single European currency in January 2011. Mr Ansip had originally aimed for eurozone membership in January 2007 but high inflation led the government to put back the target entry date.

Taking office for his third term, Mr Ansip said that improving the quality of people's lives was a top priority.

But by late 2012, his party's opinion poll ratings fell to a record low as a result of popular anger at the quashing of a money-laundering and party funding case and the subsequent resignation of the justice minister, Kristen Michal.

In the run-up to the March 2007 poll Mr Ansip backed legislation that paved the way for the removal of a controversial Red Army memorial in Tallinn. The law, and the subsequent relocation of the statue, sparked fury in Moscow.

Andrus Ansip was 48 when he became premier. He entered national politics in 2004 following six years as mayor of Tartu, Estonia's second city.

He is married and has three daughters.