ESTONIA:
Syndrome of inertial Rusophobia

Inertial Rusophobia is very uncomfortable. According to a proverb it looks like a suitcase without a handle: it’s uncomfortable to carry it but it’s impossible to throw it away. It is highly important now when the issue of lifting visa regime between the EU and Russia is on agenda. The nationalists lose a subsequent trump card which they used to demonstrate with a mood of superiority: well, at least we move in Europe like at home. It turns out to be so: there is not need to join the EU to move freely in it.

The road to the present: with fanfares

History is ever changing. During the last 20 years political regimes of the former Soviet republics, now independent states have been purely Russophobe. No objectiveness of claims can be spoken about: it is quite easier to motivate electorate under slogans concerning the bloody Russians who have been oppressed different freedom-loving people for ages. First years after getting independence when they lived in euphoria of sudden independence all they need to comfort their soul was cognition of some abstract freedom. Nobody could explain how it manifested itself. Own passports, currency, embassies, or daily wearing national cloth were regarded as big progress instead of causing surprise which would be quite natural in the epoch of urbanization.

In novel style: years passed. All national heritages of the republics that provided job places and supported economy of each "renewed" state were found out to be the legacy of that terrible USSR which was built by joint labour not to be repeated separately. Moreover, they are parts of the integral complex which is less efficient if works in parts. No national idea which could at least reinforce societies in such states as Ukraine or Baltic States, which are characterized by divided societies, has emerged. As for Rusophobia as a backbone of national identity it turned out to be quite a bad assistant for raising budgets. It is natural that leaders did not explain their citizens why they would live better. Everything was based on a trivial statement: if one becomes independent everything arranges independently.

National patriots in Kiev shouted that taking the national household in their previously oppressed hands they would import grain and food staff to half of the world. All the premises for it seemed to exist. The powerful industrial base, army, sea access, vast territory affluent with natural resources were inherited. The Baltic States had almost the same situation except the promise to import bread to a half of the world... However, it is difficult to say what the Baltic States had. In Soviet times they represented a showcase where everything used to be almost like abroad.

Any child pronounced proudly: "Look, my father has brought it from a Baltic State!" Yes, they produced wonderful toys. However, it is difficult to imagine by what Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia would like to surprise Europe (for example, adjacent Germany). Frankly speaking they do not have anything interesting: neither natural resources, nor serious industry, nor scientific centers. Three independent states had noting to offer for sale besides timber, small quantities of amber and sprats. According to Estonian officials, for instance, the country has so much wood that but for efforts of Estonian woodcutters the country would have overgrown with thickets compared to Amazonia.

Where did the favourable wind blow?

By the way, Estonia was lucky for some time. When it became clear that division of the USSR was not enough for reliable pushing Russia towards the third world countries and its further separation into smaller parts in future descendants of "national liberation" movements opened the second financial breath for a short period of time. Interested people allowed Estonia to enter the EU and NATO, generally financed Neo-Nazi manifestations with torches as well as other bright events like shameful replacement of the Bronze Soldier, special power commissions emerged which tried to impose the idea that the Russians represent permanent foes and threat on masses.

Many things were said that the victory in the World War II constitutes one of the main criteria for the Russian identity. Therefore, it resulted in attempts of prosecute Russian veterans and invent various non-existing deeds of SS members. It is nothing to be surprised with: these are characteristic features for each country which leaders get strong support from abroad. The Victory as a joint deed is very uncomfortable for adherents of different "nationalism" from trivial separatism up to organizations and movements flirting with Nazism.

People who sympathize with SS and Hitler are not good at knowing the subject. Read just memoirs of participants of conversations round the table and stenographers who fixed fuhrer’s statements for descendants (by the way, Hitler was rather scrupulous to sit for meal with 2 stenographers) to be surprised. Hitler did not want these three small states to prosper. He was more respectful for the Brits, after conquering Great Britain he planned to settle its people in the territory of the Baltic States since he considered "the English people have not enough place on their isles". Meanwhile fuhrer did not specify the fate of the locals. One could suppose them to become the Brits.

"Estonian instead of butter"

However, the financial crisis showed exactly that Russia could be hated only by rich and developed states. Golden times of George W. Bush rule when all the democratic international community found it trendy to finance various appointees like Yushenko and Saakashvili came to the end. Even if Obama has recently stated that in present situation of 13-million US debt the USA cannot be the only contender for the only global superpower. There is no spare money. Financing political regimes which were used only to irritate Moscow by any means is not the primary goal of the White House.

Thus, states that have recently been very pleased with generous financial aid for struggle with all the Russian have appeared in a very unfavourable situation when money is not given and they cannot manage to earn it. Ukraine with its present economy almost approaching coma due to "orange" five years as well as Estonia with some nominal economy seem to make no sense for the West. Moreover, entering the EU and WTO the former Soviet republics were engulfed by goods which local producers find almost impossible to compete. Therefore, these countries gradually transform in banal product markets and fields of extraction which do not produce anything independently. The most burning issue include the following: will the IMF or EU issue a subsequent credit on time or how much will utility prices rise?

According to Ivari Padar, member of the European Parliament, this year Estonia can use 14 million crones which it will receive from the European Union and return to it only 2.5 million crones. It is the good news. But what would children and grandchildren of these people say when paying these debts? It happens in the background that at least 80000 people are waiting for free macaroni and other food aid from the European Union this year. According to official information the number of recipients of the food aid in the country has almost doubled during the year: last year they accounted for 50000. The Red Cross and other charity organizations ordered more free food staff from the EU this year that the last one, however, now they are facing problems with storehouses and unloading. 6% of the population on the verge of begging do not seem to be the critical value. But the trend itself is very deplorable. By the way, it does not concern Estonian leaders and commissions under their control which calculate damages of Soviet "occupation".

Estonia could eat free macaroni when it really wants to claim Russia for 4 billion USD. For the honor of Estonian administration neighboring Latvia with its own state budget worth of 5 billion USD was going to claim Russia for the 100 which could support of the Latvian nation for 20 year ahead. Let 30% of population save on food when Marta Rannuta, Professor of Language Policy, is concerned that approximately 1/5 of doctors and nurses working in Estonia do not speak national language at the law-imposed level. According to "Eesti Päevaleht" general scholars do not regard the situation so critically, however, Marta Rannuta is shocked by the situation in Narva where it is quite normal to speak Russian to the Estonians. The Professor calls for order in the city! Hitler put this slogan as "Cannons instead of butter", but Marta Rannuta implies the Estonian language instead of cannons.

The other Estonian trump card was transit: it provided Estonian ports which were massively developed during the "occupation". Some time ago very optimistic Estonian radicals used to assert that without these important objects Russia had to kneel in front of Estonia. However the crafty Russians decided to build their own ports instead of agreeing with the Estonian nationalists. Nowadays Ust-Luga is the largest one, to great sorrow of the Estonian nationalists in 2010 it transits 60% more goods than in 2009. Goods turnover is going to be doubled by oil terminal.

The state of unscarred nationalists

Inertial Rusophobia is very uncomfortable. According to a proverb it looks like a suitcase without a handle: it’s uncomfortable to carry it but it’s impossible to throw it away. It is highly important now when the issue of lifting visa regime between the EU and Russia is on agenda. The nationalists lose a subsequent trump card which they used to demonstrate with a mood of superiority: well, at least we move in Europe like at home. It turns out to be so: there is not need to join the EU to move freely in it. There is a need to have considerable economy and to be an interesting (likely, independent) partner.

As well as their brothers from Lvov and Ternopol city councils the Estonian nationalists lose the sense of reality. The Estonian portal "Delfi" is concerned recommending the EU not to hurry to lift visa regime because if the negotiations succeed Estonia, which according to the portal is the pattern European state, would be engulfed by criminals and anti-Estonia elements. The prominent nationalists offer Estonia to leave the EU. There are such statements as "Lifting Russia-Estonia border control would throw Estonia back to 1980s when due to Eastern immigration the Estonian people could have become minority in their native land and died out". Or even better: "Taking into account that more than 2/3 of Russian citizens live in extreme poverty if visa regime is lifted their migration to the West will increase firstly through the neighboring states. It would heavily impact Estonia and other states in which the share of the Russians having come due to "occupation" is very high". Thus, one could judge that Estonian nationalists do not eat macaroni from the Red Cross.

dzd. ee reports that advocates of national security calculated that the Estonian Russians have up to 1.5 million close relatives in Russia. According to opinion polls millions of the Russians are going to immigrate in Estonia. According to the nationalists they are especially stimulated by the circumstance that under the Western pressure and the local Russians Estonian authorities "have been gradually expanding the area of use of the Russian language". The main problem is that "a Russian should not know at least some Estonian to feel there like at home".

There is a curse in China "let your most cherished wish come true". The question is how would Estonian democracy founders replenish their budget if they leave the EU? Estonian trade unions are alarmed, the Pension Fund is absolutely empty, it is nowhere improvement to expect. Economic growth is impossible because it can be provided only by product markets. Enormous competition in Europe and well-established state of affairs as well as dominating state of some monopolists could hardly allow Estonian companies to establish in the West. They have already said no.

Once Estonia was privatized by former Soviet officials of the titular nationality who were old clandestine advocates of national independence. Now they are in power, one can only study biography of the Estonian Premier or, say, the Minister of Defense. Well, they privatized but only in order to sell with profit. Since they did not manage to do anything with acquired assets but sell and smooth over they have to hurry to sell everything and become managers (nobody wants to face such a problem him/herself). In 2011 Estonia is going to introduce the euro (it means the Eurobank would rule Estonian economy and citizen income directly) as well as to prolong action of the Law on Non-Disclosure of State Secrets. Probably, they think, not to be directly imprisoned and then everything will be arranged.

Therefore, soon this small proud country would not have economic independence not only in theory. The nationalists can intimidate the EU with its leaving but they have nowhere to go ahead.

Andrey Polevoy