✔︎ Russian state media propaganda compares Eesti 200 political ad campaign to apartheid
[NB! In 2014 the Russian government articulated what might be called the Putin Doctrine, a blanket assertion that Moscow has the right and the obligation to protect Russians anywhere in the world. The Eesti 200 political party handed Russia a propaganda gift.]
(see Thursday)
✔︎ Latvia's KGB archives have been published online
(see Friday)
✔︎ Venemaa võib sagedusehoidmise eest küsida miljoneid aastas
(Teisipäev)
✔︎Europe's Right Wing in the EU: Thought populists want to kill the EU? It’s worse
(see Monday)
_____________
Friday
11. January 2019
✔︎ 2019 is the 30th anniversary of the Baltic Way
(Latvian Broadcasting)
“… the day in 1989 when Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians joined hands, forming a live human chain from Tallinn to Vilnius via Rīga to protest the Soviet occupation of their countries, which resulted from the signing of the notorious Molotov-Ribbentrop pact on August 23, 1939. They called for the renewed independence of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – a goal that was achieved within two years.”
Valimised tulekul: vaata, kes on sinu kodupiirkonnas parteide esinumbrid
(Delfi)
[Interaktiivne graafik.]
Eestivenelasest noormees Kristina Kallasele: eestlaste ja venelaste vahel pole kunagi eraldusjoont olnud, selle tekitasite teie
(Eesti Päevaleht)
“Eestivenelasest noormees Sergei Eensalu leiab Kristina Kallasele saadetud avalikus kirjas, et ei ole kunagi tundud eraldusjoont eestlaste ja venelaste vahel. Tema jaoks tekkis see alles nüüd seoses erakonna Eesti 200 üles riputatud plakatitega.”
Europe's Four Big Challenges in 2019
(Stratfor)
“The year ahead will be full of important decisions for the European Union, as the bloc will have to debate a multiyear budget, appoint new leaders to key supranational institutions and discuss structural reforms, all while dealing with slower economic growth, the persistent threat of populism, trade frictions with the United States and multifaceted relations with Russia and China.”
Latvia's KGB archives published online
(Latvian Broadcasting)
“Available at https://kgb.arhivi.lv/, the archive includes alphabetic and statistical card indexes, the dossiers of recruited KGB agents, the KGB employees' phonebooks, as well as materials on the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Soviet Latvia.”
“Tens of thousands delve into KGB archives on first day.”
“Surprise over names found inside and missing from the Latvian KGB archives.”
“People in Latvian KGB files want to clear their names.”
“People named in KGB archives offer explanation.”
Vene sõjalaevad tulistavad Läänemerel õppustel rakette
(ERR)
Mobiiliettevõtetel pole mingit kohustust Eestis võrku üleval hoida
(Postimees)
“Eesti riik pole mobiilisagedusi välja jagades pannud telekomiettevõtetele kohustust hoida sidevõrke üleval näiteks elektrikatkestuste korral ja nii on hädaolukordades rahva ühenduse tagamine jäänud vaid usalduse ja hea lootuse peale.”
Time-lapse'i video: vaata, kuidas Tallinna jõuluturg kokku pakiti
(Postimees)
India’s Richest Man Holds Estonia’s E-Residency
(BTC Wires | Economic Times)
“Estonia’s Ambassador to India, Riho Kruuv, on Thursday announced that India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani, Microsoft Founder Bill Gates, and India’s Union Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad, all have one thing in common- they are the holders of Estonia’s e-residency.”
“Indian entrepreneurs have launched about 200 startups in Estonia in the past one year, making use of the e-residency programme which offers easy access to the European market and funding from venture capital firms …”
✔︎ 2019 is the 30th anniversary of the Baltic Way
(Latvian Broadcasting)
“… the day in 1989 when Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians joined hands, forming a live human chain from Tallinn to Vilnius via Rīga to protest the Soviet occupation of their countries, which resulted from the signing of the notorious Molotov-Ribbentrop pact on August 23, 1939. They called for the renewed independence of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – a goal that was achieved within two years.”
_____________
Thursday
10. January 2019
Russian state media propaganda compares Eesti 200 ad campaign to apartheid
(ERR)
“Among the headlines to appear on the online sites of Zvezda, Russia Today and Rossiya TV were, "Scandals in Estonia: Posters appear on streets 'Here only Russians,'" "Estonian party claims responsibility for divisive posters," and "The right side of Estonia: Will the division of people into Estonians and Russians solve the state's problems.”
—
"This is something that has not been seen in the modern world, and indeed in the world for a long time — perhaps since the days of apartheid in South Africa," Rossiya TV news programme Vesti reported, adding that in civilised countries, such actions would prompt a criminal investigation, as the campaign was a call for interethnic hatred in its purest form.”
Outrage After ‘Eesti 200’ Election Poster Campaign Singles Out Russian Minority
(RFERL)
“A set of posters in Estonia appearing to advocate ethnic segregation has stoked anger among members of the country's Russian minority and caused dormant ethnic tensions to resurface ahead of parliamentary elections in March.”
Opinion: Poster campaign non-story in itself, but could prove watershed
(ERR)
“This week's headlines have been dominated by a poster campaign supposed to highlight the ongoing divided society existing in Estonia, ie. the split between Estonians and the Russian-speaking minority. … (it) won’t make much of an impact on polling day in March, assuming that was even its intention …”
“Eesti 200 šokikampaania rabeles ohjest lahti.”
“Irene Käosaar lahkus erakonnast Eesti 200.”
“Eesti 200 šokireklaam tõi küll tähelepanu, aga tegi ka paljudele haiget.”
Podcast: Estonia, Eesti 200 and Russian minority
(New Eastern Europe)
[Conversation with Kristina Kallas, leader of the new political party Eesti 200.]
Countering Russian disinformation the Baltic nations’ way
(PRI)
The Coming Age of Post-Truth Geopolitics
(Foreign Affairs)
Teadlased kirjeldasid Kagu-Eesti maakoores ammu esinenud ulatuslikke pingeid
(ERR)
Number of persons caught illegally entering Estonia doubles in two years
(ERR)
“Last year, a total of 1,110 people were caught entering Estonia illegally. While PPA (Police and Border Guard Board) officials were able to hinder the entry of 732 individuals at border checkpoints already, 45 people were caught in the process of illegally crossing the border, while another 333 were caught after already having entered the country.”
Labor migration to Estonia more than doubles in 2018
(Baltic Times)
“Labor migration to Estonia more than doubled in 2018, while the dominant nationality was Ukrainian. While there were only 1,782 registrations of short-term employment in 2016, the number stood at 7,510 in 2017 and soared to 19,858 in 2018, it appears from freshly published statistics from the Police and Border Guard Board.”
Europe is forming an army
(Handelsblatt)
“A united EU military is becoming a reality, argues Germany’s defense minister.”
Russia and Belarus electricity suppliers exploit EU law, grow in Baltics
(ERR)
“Russian and Belarusian electricity suppliers are entering the Estonian market, exploiting EU law on emissions to undercut prices. This has not, it is argued, improved the situation for consumers, however, and moves are in place across the Baltic States and Finland to curb its continuation.”
Landline phones coming to an end in Finland
(Helsinki Times)
“… landline calls account for no more than 3% of all telephone traffic in Finland.”
Finnish economy to lag behind rest of Nordics in 2019, 2020
(Yle)
“Finnish economy will grow 1.7 percent this year and 1.5 percent in 2020 …”
The Ubiquity of Russian Pessimism
(Riddle)
“As many experts claim today, Russian society is beginning to show signs of discontent that the authorities should not ignore. Yet, the situation is somewhat more complicated than the ruled losing faith in their rulers. Russia’s rulers also seem to be losing faith in themselves. …”
Orban warns immigration will divide EU ahead of parliamentary elections
(Euronews)
“Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban held his first government news conference of 2019 on Thursday, where he drew a distinct line between European ideologies.
"There will be two civilisations in the EU," said Orban in Budapest, "One mixed Muslim-Christian in the West, and one traditional European-Christian in Central Europe. .. “We have reached a point in Europe where liberals have become enemy number one of freedom,” said Orban.
_____________
Wednesday
9. January 2019
Putin valetas Eesti kohta
(Postimees)
“Teisipäeval väitis Vene president Vladimir Putin, et Balti riikide lahkumine Vene elektrivõrgust tõstab nende riikide elanike maksukoormust, sh Eestis. Eesti elektrisüsteemi halduri Elering juht Taavi Veskimägi lükkas need väited ümber.”
Kristina Kallas: me ei osanud sellist solvumist ette näha
(ERR | Postimees)
“Erakonna Eesti 200 juhi Kristina Kallase sõnul ei osanud partei ette näha, et eestlasi ja venelasi leeridesse asetav plakat võib mingit hulka inimesi solvata ja seeläbi takistada tegeliku sõnumi kohaleviimist.”
“Kallas: We did not anticipate people would take such offense.”
“… new parties often do strange things to make the scene …”
foto
“Eesti 200 plakatid meenutasid Natsi-Saksamaad.”
“Estonia 200 ads reminiscent of Nazi Germany.”
“Kristina Kallas põhjendas vastuolulist plakatit Eesti lõhestatusega.”
Brexit Impact On Europe’s East
by Janusz Bugajski - CEPA
“Britain’s exit from the European Union on 29 March will have far-reaching political, economic, and security reverberations … Lithuania is a leader in attracting British companies by streamlining regulations to ease the process of gaining a banking license. Eight UK fintechs now have hubs in Lithuania. Poland is becoming more competitive because of its low operating costs. And Estonia is known for its impressive talent pool in engineering and IT while offering lower employment costs than the UK. In these cases, Britain’s loss is a CEE gain.”
FAQs: What happens to UK citizens in Estonia post-Brexit?
(ERR - 27. Dec.)
Brexit will force changing multiple of Latvia’s laws
(LETA)
Brexit is symptomatic of Europe’s inability to deal with the end of the post-1945 era
by Judy Dempsey - Carnegie Europe
“Whether it’s Brexit, the European Parliament elections, who will take over the leadership of the EU’s institutions, or which political parties will come out top in regional elections in Germany, they are all distractions. … They are distractions because they ignore the bigger, more important picture that is unfolding between Europe and the United States. The post-1945 transatlantic relationship is coming to an end.”
EU to Theresa May: No more help before Brexit vote
(Politico-Europe)
Lithuanian Army establishes new battalion for communications and info. systems
(Delfi-Lithuania)
Defense is in need of more from Europe
(Handelsblatt)
“Europe is quickly at hand when it comes to regulation — but is it ready to build something? … There is an urgent need for action, and it is ultimately a question of building a “real European army,” as Chancellor Angela Merkel would have it, or an “army of Europeans,” per Defense Minister Ursula Von der Leyen — whatever the difference may be.”
Kremlin will continue to try and exploit political chaos and uncertainty
(Berlin Policy Journal)
“Europe needs to focus on strengthening NATO while working to prevent an arms race.”
Russia in 2019: The Ever-Steepening Downward Spiral
(Riddle)
“Firstly, international relations have become much more complex. The share of Russians who consider a conflict with a neighbouring state in the coming year to be likely has risen from 19% to 30% compared with the previous year. Fears that Russia will become embroiled in another conflict are being sounded again, as one of several worst-case scenarios for 2019. However, Russia’s military adventures abroad no longer enjoy the same degree of legitimacy.”
Managing Russia's dissolution
(The Hill)
“Although Moscow has failed to modernize its economy to be globally competitive, the Kremlin excels in one domain — disinformation …”
_____________
Tuesday
8. January 2019
Venemaa võib sagedusehoidmise eest küsida miljoneid aastas
(Postimees)
“Eesti soov Venemaa elektrisüsteemist lahkuda annab idanaabrile võimaluse esitada sageduse reguleerimise eest arve, mille suurusjärk oleks väiksem kuludest, mida Eesti peaks tegema sama võimekuse tagamiseks. Eleringi hinnangul maksaks see 30 miljonit eurot aastas.”
Putin: Vene elektrivõrgust lahkumine tõstab Eesti maksukoormust
(Postimees)
Gas transit to Kaliningrad hasn't stopped, Lithuanian energmin says
(Baltic Course)
“Lithuania has a contract with Russian gas giant Gazptom on gas transit to Kaliningrad until 2025 and it has not been breached, Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas says, adding that statements on alleged halt of transit were sparked by a temporary drop in the volume of transported gas as Kaliningrad is testing a LNG terminal.”
Polish Air Force F-16 Jets Take Over the Baltic Air Policing Duty
(The Aviationist)
“Over the course of 2018 the NATO BAP (Baltic Air Policing) assets were scrambled more than a hundred times.”
E.U.’s Diplomatic Status Downgraded by U.S. Administration
(Deutsche Welle | New York Times)
“The demotion happened at the end of last year without notice.”
—
Putin’s Semi-Free Press Problem
by Nina L. Khrushcheva
(Project Syndicate - 4. January)
“The problem with a semi-authoritarian regime like Vladimir Putin’s is that people’s behavior is not fully under the leader’s control. And, in today’s Russia, this extends to the news media, which report far more often – and more boldly – on social challenges, and the anger they stoke, than outsiders might expect.”
Growing Russian Nostalgia For Soviet Past Far More Dangerous Than It Appears
by Paul Goble - UpNorth
“New polls show that the share of Russians who would like to go “back to the USSR” is at its highest levels over the last 15 years.”
The present and future of Donbas
(Open Democracy)
“The responsibility to resolve this conflict clearly lies in Moscow.”
Putin’s Retirement Plan Depends on Belarus
(The Moscow Times)
“President Vladimir Putin has more than five years left in office, but he must already contemplate his next move. … Simply going into retirement in 2024 is an even scarier option: Putin could never be certain of any personal security guarantees his successor might provide. … To retain power, he is positioning himself as the leader of a closer union between Russia and its dependent neighbor.”
_____________
Monday
7. January 2019
Europe's Right Wing Takes Aim at EU
(Spiegel)
“Right-wing populist parties in Europe have been gaining strength for years. Now, they hope to use European Parliament elections in May as a springboard for gaining greater influence in the EU. Surveys indicate they may be successful.”
Viktor Orbán’s Far-Right Vision for Europe
(The New Yorker)
“The Prime Minister of Hungary, who thrives on conflict, has consolidated power in his own country. Now he is turning his attention to the E.U.”
Thought populists want to kill the EU? It’s worse
“The biggest mistake those in favor of the EU could make would be to assume that far-right parties will remain dogmatically wedded in government to the populist rhetoric they used in opposition.”
Italy and Poland in talks on anti-EU league.
(EU Observer | Radio Poland)
—
“Poland and Italy will be part of the new spring of Europe”
Wage Growth in Europe (2010-2017)
(Berlin Policy Journal)
“Ten years after the onset of the eurocrisis, how does the eurozone look today?”
Latvia on brink of four-party coalition
(ERR)
“The list of Latvian political parties is, it has to be said, somewhat more complex and volatile than that of Estonia. … Compare that with Latvia, where at present eight parties are represented either at parliament, the Saeima, or in Europe, or both …”
https://news.err.ee/892134/latvia-on-brink-of-four-party-coalition-sign-of-things-to-come-in-estonia
Explainer: Government formation in Latvia
(Latvian Broadcasting)
“Months after the October 6 parliamentary election, Latvia finally seems to be on the verge of installing a new cabinet.”
Lithuania mulls immediate ban of television programs threating national security
(Delfi-Lithuania)
“As we will have three elections this year and a referendum, LRTK proposed to have a safeguard and react immediately in cases if somebody would try to interfere the elections or the referendum," Mantas Martišius, head of LRTK, was quoted as saying by local media.”
_____________
Sunday
6. January 2019
Christmas was a troubled time over at the Ministry of Defense on Sakala street
(Postimees)
“Swedish defense contractor has Defense Forces over a barrel.”
Kehrast saadeti teele soomusrong Wabadus
(ERR)
“Reedel, 4. jaanuaril alustas Kehra raudteejaamast oma teekonda Vabadussõja sajanda aastapäeva puhul ehitatud soomusrong nr. 7 "Wabadus". Soomusrong ja sellel asuv näitus liiguvad jaanuari jooksul mööda ajaloolist lahinguteed Kehrast Valgani.”
We Need to Know What Happened When Trump Was Left Alone With Putin
(The Daily Beast)
“From the Holocaust to Watergate, there are plenty of examples of how easily bad stuff happens when, like in Helsinki, there is no record of what is said. … Putin is a master of mind games learned as a Soviet intelligence agent. Trump, with his blend of narcissism and ignorance, presents a soft target for these games. He is an empty vessel into which ideas can easily be seeded.”
Kiiev: Venemaa valmistub süüdistuste fabritseerimiseks
(ERR)
“Venemaa püüab Ukrainat diskrediteerida ja valmistub süüdistama Kiievit väidetavate terrorirünnakute korraldamises Donetski ja Luganski oblasti okupeeritud alal ja annekteeritud Krimmis …”
From paper to battle in four years
(Postimees)
“Four years ago, two engineers were given a pencil and paper and set about fleshing out Milrem’s unmanned ground vehicle. Today, the company is working with the top dogs of the defense industry.”
28 people shaping and stirring Europe
“The Cyber Diplomat”
(Politico-Europe)
“Heli Tiirmaa-Klaar wants to write the rules of cyber conflict. As Estonia’s first ambassador-at-large for cybersecurity, she’s at the forefront of a battle over what countries can and can’t do in cyberspace. Her ambition: to stop repressive governments from committing acts of war and aggression online, while ensuring they can’t use international law to suppress the free flow of information.
Estonia seeking hundreds of hectares more land from owners to build eastern border
(Baltic Times)
What European voters worry about
(Politico-Europe)
“With the European Parliament election less than six months away — and with it, a major reshuffle of who's in charge of the EU's institutions and hot topic issues — election campaigners have their work cut out for them. … One thing voters do share is a concern that the European election is vulnerable to outside interference — with many saying Europe's leaders are doing too little to address the risks.”
___________
_______
___
