Acta Politica Polonica

Estonia is one of the fifteen states created as a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union, which introduced such effective reforms that it is now a highly developed, economically and socially Western democracy. Currently, Estonia is at the forefront of post-Soviet and former satellite countries in terms of freedom from corruption, democratization, the level of education, and building a digital society. The main aim of the article was to answer the question concerning the social, political, and economic effects of reforms implemented in Estonia after the country became independent from Moscow. By comparing relevant indicators, the implications of these reforms were presented against the background of other former Soviet republics and Central and Eastern European states. The article also presents the historical determinants of the proWestern orientation of Estonia and its inhabitants. Without social support for integration with Western Europe, it would be impossible to carry out a successful transformation. Among the historical factors, the centuries-old influence of Western European, especially German, culture and economy had the greatest impact on the manner and quality of the reforms carried out in Estonia. The research shows that Estonia is the least affected by corruption and the most democratic country in the post- Soviet area. However, in terms of the quality of education, the country ranks first not only in the group of post-Soviet countries, but also in the whole of Europe. On the other hand, in terms of building the information society and e-state, Estonia is a world leader and is presented as an example to other countries.