- This interactive map of the Gulag is a database of the history and geography of forced labor camps in the USSR from 1918 to 1960. The project shows the scale of Soviet punitive system whose prison camps were scattered across the entire country - from the Baltic Sea, to Crimea, to Chukotka.
- “Baltic Populations Divided Not Only Along Ethnic Lines, A New Study Says.”
- “Kristi Raik: euroskeptikud ei hakka Euroopa Liidu protsesse takistama.”
- “… the unnewsed do not actively seek news. They are content with the news finding them.”
- “Opinion: 12 things we learned from this year's Lennart Meri Conference.”
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Friday 24. May
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Baltic Populations Divided Not Only along Ethnic Lines, New Study Says
by Paul Goble - Window on Eurasia
“Many assume that the most fundamental divide in all three Baltic countries is along ethnic lines, that all Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians feel more or less the same way on key issues and ethnic Russians in these three countries feel differently. That was never the case, even in the heady days of the recovery of independence; and it is less true now.”
—
“That reality is highlighted in a new 88-page study prepared jointly by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and the University of Latvia. Entitled Ideological Polarization in the Societies of the Baltic Countries, it focuses on the attachment of Baltic populations toward integration with the West.”
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Estonian President to EU Centrists: Be a Voice for Disenfranchised
(VOA)
“A once-shining example of democratic growth, progressive e-governance policies and a hotbed for start-ups and high-tech enterprise in the post-Soviet sphere, Estonia was faced with a groundswell of right-wing populism that rattled the centrist establishment when the Baltic nation’s far-right EKRE took 19 of 101 parliamentary posts in March elections.”
—
“The political tremors became a full-blown seismic shift just weeks later when Prime Minister Jüri Ratas invited the group, which has bashed immigrants, judges, journalists, and vowed to end same-sex marriage, to join a ruling coalition in order to safeguard his own position.”
Europe Is Ripe for a Return to Establishment Politics
(Foreign Policy)
“Far-right populists had been expected to do well—and still could. But it may be that the political cost of open pandering to Moscow on the far-right’s part, along with a diminishment in the continent-wide migration crisis, could lead to a more establishment politics in Europe, slowing the polarization and fragmentation that threaten the trans-Atlantic alliance.”
European Elections Are About More Than the Far Right
(Atlantic Sentinel)
“European elections kicked off in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom on Thursday with most of the other 26 member states voting on Sunday. The temptation is to force a single narrative on the elections. American and British media in particular are obsessed with the performance of the Euroskeptic right. But this is only part of the story.”
—
“The elections span a continent of 500 million people. Turnout in European elections is usually low, but those who do vote tend to do so on the basis of national, not European, issues. Hence the elections are less a referendum on the EU than a test for incumbent leaders and governments. To pro-versus-anti-EU narrative also simplifies reality. …”
More:
Society’s Much Needed Cure
(Visegrad/Insight)
“The Internet is forming a group in society which could be described as the “unnewsed”. According to data from a Reuters Institute study, the unnewsed do not actively seek news, they are content with the news finding them.”
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“That being said, higher-income and -educated citizens still actively seek out quality news sources. They also subscribe to exceptional news media. Thus, the situation is nearing a point where there are ever more unnewsed citizens and the information that does reach them is often of very poor quality.”
Uuring: keskmine elamisväärne palk on 1,865 eurot
(Postimees)
Lithuania: compulsory health insurance coverage for foreigners
(Delfi)
“The Lithuanian government approved on Wednesday a proposal that foreigners who reside in Lithuania on a permanent or temporary basis and have access to medical care under bilateral agreements and receive pensions from another country should be covered under compulsory health insurance.”
The mad dash for Russian citizenship in separatist Luhansk
(Meduza)
“Since April 24, residents of the self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics have been able to receive Russian citizenship through a simplified process. On May 1, this option was made available to all Ukrainian citizens with Russian residence permits. … Meduza special correspondent Kristina Safonova travelled to Luhansk and the Rostov region to learn more about this dash for Russian citizenship and why people in Ukraine’s Donbas want it so badly.”
Russia Warns It Will Respond to Norwegian Spy Radar in Arctic
(The Moscow Times)
“Vardø is a small fishing village on a little island off Norway’s coast in the Barents Sea.”
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Thursday 23. May
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Kristi Raik: euroskeptikud ei hakka Euroopa Liidu protsesse takistama
(ERR)
"Väga palju on räägitud sellest, kuidas just need Euroopa Parlamendi valimised on väga erakordsed. Ja seda seetõttu, et nüüd justkui oleks küsimus selles, kas Euroopa Liit üldse alles jääb tulevikus. Ma arvan, et selline vastandumine, mida me oleme näinud Euroopa Liidu pooldajate ja vastaste vahel tegelikult ei ole debatile väga hästi mõjunud. Eurovastased on olnud väga häälekad ja EL pooldajad on olnud kaitsepositsioonil …”
Population minister discusses prep of Global Estonia program
(Baltic Times)
“Population Minister Riina Solman met with representatives of organizations of Estonians living abroad on Wednesday to hear their opinions about collaboration with Estonian government institutions … "Global Estonians are all Estonians -- those at home as well as those living abroad," said Sirje Kiin, representatives of the Estonian National Committee in the US.”
Helme: idapiiri väljaehitamise kava tuleb üle vaadata
(Postimees | ERR)
“Valitsuskolitsioon kaalub mitmete varem kavandatud riiklike investeeringute edasilükkamist, rahandusminister Martin Helme hinnangul peab üle vaata idapiiri väljaehitamise kava ja selle maksumuse.”
—
Kaliningrad katsetab sel nädalal iseseisvat elektrisüsteemi
(ERR)
“Venemaa katsetab sellel nädalal, kas Kaliningradi oblast saab hakkama, kui piirkond muudest elektrivõrkudest välja lülitada.”
E-services suffered worst breach yet
(Postimees)
“A vulnerability manifested in reality for the first time this February. While only a single hijacked identity would constitute immense moral damage, this latest incident concerned those of between 10 and 20 people. Luckily, financial damage only came to around 1,000 euros. We’re talking about the increasingly popular and undoubtedly the most modern and convenient identification tool Smart-ID.”
Estonia is best digital home away from home
(Telecoms)
“Overall, the Nordic countries ranked high, with Finland, Norway, and Denmark all in the top 5 best countries for digital life table. But topping the list is Estonia, which ranked exceptionally high on the e-government index, with 94% of all expats surveyed feeling satisfied with the availability of the country’s administrative services. Estonia also topped the table of unrestricted access to online services. The country, similar to other Baltic and Nordic countries, adopts a light-touch approach towards Internet.”
Võrumaa: Kas Karula rahvuspark läheb ka sae alla?
Ülle Harju - Lõuna Leht
“Ma olen eluaeg siin elanud, ma ei võtaks elus seda mäge paljaks, muidu vaataksin seda paljast kunti elu lõpuni … Aga just hiljuti helistas metsafirma ja oleksin peaaegu pikali kukkunud – selle metsa eest pakuti 100,000 eurot.”
700 WWII victims might be buried at Lithuania's Air Base in Siauliai
(Delfi)
“Such preliminary conclusions were provided to the air base's leadership by archeologists following an exploratory archeological survey. It was commissioned by the air base after the remains of unknown people were discovered during ongoing construction work last summer to install a rainwater pipeline track for a new cargo distribution site.”
Finland, Norway and Russia work closely on the Kolarctic project
(Helsinki Times)
“The eastern territories of Norway and Finland share a border with Russia along the Grense-Jacobselv, Paz and Voriema Rivers. In total there are 117 kilometres of Norwegian-Russian border where two Norwegian and five Russian hydropower plants are located. Such three-party control over the frontiers requires a special approach and cooperation.”
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Wednesday 22. May
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White Nationalists in Estonia Have Learned Ugly Lessons From Trump
(The Daily Beast)
“They’re outrageous, racist, and misogynist, leading the press around by the nose. And while they say they hate ethnic Russians, they’re part of a Europe-wide Putin-loving movement.”
Ligi kaks kolmandikku Eesti elanikest pooldab Rail Balticu raudteeühendust
(Postimees)
“Aprillis tehtud arvamusuuringu kohaselt on Eesti inimeste toetus Rail Balticu kiirele raudteeühendusele tõusnud 64 protsendile, mis on viimase kolme aasta kõrgeim tase.”
U.S., Estonia Sign 5-Year Road Map of Defense Cooperation
(U.S. Dept. of Defense | ERR)
“Estonia uses defense-related aid from the United States as an accelerator for defense investments to develop Estonia's independent defense capability and concluding possible joint procurements with other Baltic republics.”
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Poland: 15 Years of EU Membership
(Warsaw Institute)
“The following study aims to evaluate the costs and benefits of the fifteen years of Poland’s membership in the European Union as well as to envisage the potential consequences of a Polexit. The Polish perception of the European Union has been yet to a large extent shaped by the eurozone crisis, Brexit and the migration crisis, all of which have in recent years been noteworthy challenges for the EU. Not only have they contributed to changing the nation’s views on the European Union but they also gave rise to following considerations about a plausible Polexit, which is why they will be discussed in details in the further parts of the paper.”
In EU elections, far-right talks up migration. But do voters care?
(Christian Science Monitor)
“There is no denying that anti-migrant messages, often salted with misinformation, have helped far-right parties and politicians win seats in national elections in several European countries. But despite the volume of anti-immigration rhetoric, the latest polling data suggest the average voter has different concerns … topics like the economy, Islamic radicalism, and even concerns about nationalism itself outweigh immigration for many.”
It’s populism vs. liberal democracy as EU goes to the polls
(Christian Science Monitor)
Is Time Running Out For Russia's President?
(CEPA)
“With economic conditions deteriorating and social turmoil escalating in various regions of Russia, President Vladimir Putin’s self-proclaimed “power vertical” is looking increasingly like a “power vertigo.”
—
“Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, all Russian governments have failed to modernize the state, whether through a European model of a democratic market economy or a Chinese model of state-directed capitalism. Instead, Russia has become a secret police oligarchy (or “Chekistocracy”) in which political freedoms are extinguished and the chasm between a corrupt ruling stratum and the populace has become unbridgeable.”
Every Man for Himself: The Russian Regime Turns On Itself
(Carnegie Moscow)
“The Russian regime is less and less like a well-tuned orchestra with a confident conductor, and more and more like a cacophony in which every musician is trying to play louder and get more attention than everyone else. No one is focusing on the harmonious sound of the symphony.”
Ten Popular and Instructive Russian Jokes from the Past Month
(Window on Eurasia)
#3 - “Russian school children win seven gold medals at the International Mendeleyev Olympiad in chemistry. At a reception in the Kremlin, Prime Minister Medvedev gives each of the children souvenirs and with all his heart wishes the future citizens of the US and the EU all the best.”
Top European official accuses Trump, Putin of trying to weaken EU
(The Hill)
“We are [for the] first time in the history in a situation where the president of the United States and [the] president of Russia seem to share the same view on Europe: the weaker, the better, because they think that it’s better for their own country, which is obviously not right” - Jyrki Katainen, a former prime minister of Finland
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Tuesday 21. May
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Racism, sexism, Nazi economics: Estonia's far right in power
(The Guardian)
“… nobody was all that surprised when the nationalist EKRE party won 19 out of 101 seats in parliamentary elections in March. The real shock came a few weeks later when the prime minister, Jüri Ratas, invited EKRE to join a coalition government. Ratas offered EKRE five out of 15 ministerial positions as well as policy concessions including agreeing to hold a referendum on whether to define marriage as only between a man and a woman.”
—
“EKRE’s transition from the noisy fringe to the heart of government represents a remarkable failure of mainstream politics.”
—
“He threw all his values down the drain just to remain PM,” said Kaja Kallas, who had been on course to become Estonia’s first female prime minister but instead remains in opposition.”
Saksamaa ajaleht: Kersti Kaljulaid on nähtavalt närvis, et peab EKRE rassistlike avalduste pärast vabandama
(Delfi)
Europas Musterschüler driftet langsam nach rechts
(Süddeutsche Zeitung)
Europe votes: The view from Estonia
(The Irish Times)
“… the rise of Estonia’s far right owes a lot to social media. This is obviously part of a broader trend. However, the degree to which the extreme right dominates the largely unmoderated comment sections of news portals suggests social media does not only act as a mobilising tool, but appears to have the potential to build and shape an entire world. Although clearly a minority in Estonian society, extreme right social media users have all but monopolised social commentary. This appears to be feeding the impression among them that they represent an unfairly silenced majority.”
Macron says Bannon, Russians eroding Europe ahead of EU vote
(AP)
“French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday accused former Trump strategist Steve Bannon and Russian oligarchs of conspiring with Europe’s nationalists to dismantle the European Union, saying Europeans “should not be naive” about foreign interference ahead of this week’s European Parliament elections.”
—
“Bannon, who has been in France in recent days and praised far-right leader Marine Le Pen’s campaign, called himself an “observer.”
How the Mueller Report reads if you are Russian
(IMR)
Why do some Russians Miss the Iron Fist?
(Riddle)
“Repressions, executions, and military blunders are all inherent characteristics of the image of Josef Stalin; only a small number of Russians outright deny these facts. What changes is not so much Russians’ overall assessment of Stalin, as the balance between positive and negative evaluations of the Soviet leader. That balance constantly shifts. In Russia today, that balance is in the favour of the former; while negative aspects have not completely disappeared from Stalin’s popular image today, they have certainly receded into the background. Stalin is now primarily seen as the man who won the Great Patriotic War, the man who forged the Soviet Union’s superpower status; the leader who through his steely resolve was able to bring order to the country.”
Russian Lawyer Uses 'Rehabilitation' Laws To Confront Horrors Of Stalinism
(RFERL)
“Russian lawyer and historian Aleksandr Busarov … has been quietly waging his campaign, using Russia's laws on the rehabilitation of politically repressed people to bring closed archival materials out into the light and pushing Russia's authoritarian government, against its will, to formulate a coherent condemnation of Stalin, whom Putin himself has praised as a "successful manager."
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Monday 20. May
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Kaljulaid: Current government may jeopardize Estonia's allied relations
(ERR)
“The main issue is that when we previously spoke of Estonia, we spoke of Estonia's digital sphere; of how we have achieved our development; how we apply legislation to artificial intelligence (AI); of our startup visas; our e-residency," she highlighted. "Around 20 reporters were here yesterday, and I spent half of the meeting explaining how I feel about various hand gestures and other similar matters. It's a waste of time and reputation. It is a pity.”
Future-Proofing Estonia’s Energy Market and Security
(ICDS)
“The Baltic region is making a significant progress in developing functioning regional natural gas market, expanding and integrating the related infrastructure, and ensuring the security of supply.”
Energy security is in the interest of the Baltic States and the U.S.
(President of the Republic of Lithuania)
“President Dalia Grybauskaitė together with the Presidents of Latvia and Estonia met with the U.S. Secretary of Energy, Rick Perry.”
Estonia-Finland undersea gas pipeline works began
(ERR)
“Offshore pipeline installation of Balticconnector, a gas pipe linking Estonia and Finland under the Baltic Sea, begins on Monday, BNS reports, and is likely to be finished in July. Around two thirds of the cost is being provided by the E.U..”
How the Danske Bank money-laundering scheme involving $230 billion unraveled
(CBS News)
“Lantana Trade LLP seemed to be a British company in name only with a postal address in an unremarkable office building in North London, that it shared with at least 64 other shell companies with accounts at Danske Bank Estonia and connections to remote exotic places known for banking secrecy and money laundering.
Howard Wilkinson: So we've got a UK company with a registered office in North London with an account in an Estonian bank that's actually run by Russians and the partners, the owners, are from the Seychelles and the Marshall Islands.”
—
“You have to have due diligence. And you have this little bank out there in Estonia pumping in billions of dollars to you, do you think you should ask? But the proof of the pudding is that J.P. Morgan figured it out. Were they geniuses? And who did they tell? And why didn't they expose the full scheme to the United States? Why was it up to one guy in a bank in Estonia to figure it out and turn it in, risking everything? Why is it always up to the whistleblower?”
NATO member Estonia reports alleged Russian air violation
(Washington Post)
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