Russian influence on the EU and NATO during the pandemic
(New Eastern Europe)
“Last month, when COVID-19 began spreading rapidly in Italy, the country appealed for help … Putin sent nine airplanes within 24 hours of his phone conversation with Prime Minister Conte. At that moment, Rome had not received any substantial help from the EU or NATO members.”
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“Russian specialists are gaining access to Italy’s health and military system, which is part of a larger NATO structure. One of the largest and most important US military bases in Italy is located just two hours from the Bergamo area. Russian state media continue to report that the country’s soldiers have been travelling ‘in the very heart of Europe along NATO roads’.”
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Friday 17. April
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COVID-19 Eestis
Viimati uuendatud: 17. aprill 2020
[Saaremaa 514; Harjumaa 481; jne.]
Kapo peadirektor Arnold Sinisalu:
9. mai pärast ma ei muretseks
(ERR)
"On läbi käinud, et need vähesed Teise maailmasõja veteranid, kes on veel elus, et neid Punasele väljakule ei kaasata. Praeguses olukorras tuleb säilitada ka meil kainet meelt. Kindlasti on üksikuid inimesi, kes ka meil tahavad näidata trotsi. Ja kui 9. mail peaks kehtima endiselt Eestis 2+2 reegel, siis lähevad nad pronkssõduri juurde lilli ja pärgi panema. Need on üksikud tegelased ja üldises plaanis ei näe ma põhjust muretseda.”
Ajateenijad arvatakse ennetähtaegselt reservi
(Postimees)
“Reservi arvatakse ligikaudu 2600 ajateenijat, kes alustasid teenistust 2019. aastal. 2020. aasta alguses kaitseväega liitunud ligikaudu 460 ajateenijat jätkavad teenistust.”
Maatöö populaarsus hüppas üleöö lakke
(Postimees)
“Koroonakriisi tõttu tööta-tegevuseta jäänud inimeste huvi maale tööle minna on märgatavalt kasvanud, välistööjõu kadumise üle kaevanud talunikud imestavad, et maatöökohtadele on tekkinud konkurss.”
—
“Sellest asja, et saab valida kümnete omakeelsete kandidaatide hulgast, pole minu ettevõtjaajaloo jooksul olnud,” tunnistas Võrumaal Läti-Venemaa piirinurga lähedal asuva Nopri talumeierei omanik Tiit Niilo. Ta on úks maaettevõtjastest, kes hakkas kadunud välistööjõu asemele otsima uusi töötajaid Eestist. “Töösoovijaid on nii palju, et saame välja valida need, kes on huvitatud pikemaajalisest tööst. Huvilisi on ka Tallinast, Tartust ja Keilast …”
Moskvasse rajati digitaalne koonduslaager
(Eesti Päevaleht - paywall)
“15. aprillil viisid Moskva linnavõimud sisse piirangud, mis on teiste riikide pealinnadega võrreldes enneolematud. Moskvas, mille elanikkond ulatub 15 (mitteametlikult 20) miljonini, anti inimestele linnas ringi liikumiseks elektroonilised loatähed.”
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Thursday 16. April
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KAPO Aastaraamat - 2019
(Kaitsepolitseiamet)
“Nii sisejulgeoleku kui ka välisluure eest vastutavate eriteenistuste töö eripära on läbi aegade nõudnud tegutsemist nii varjatult kui võimalik ning sellega on alati kaasas käinud teatav salapära. Infoühiskonnas ei ole täielikult varjus tegutsemine enam võimalik …”
KAPO Annual Review - 2019 (english version)
(Estonian Internal Security Service)
Critics question Swedish approach as coronavirus death toll reaches 1,200
(The Guardian)
“Statistics show roughly half the Swedish workforce is now working from home, public transport usage has fallen by 50% in Stockholm and the capital’s streets are about 70% less busy than usual – but Swedes are still able to shop, go to restaurants, get haircuts and send children under 16 to class even if a family member is ill.”
Europe’s Missing Coronavirus Exit Strategy
(Carnegie Europe)
“With the coronavirus pandemic challenging European democracies, not only with help from China and Russia but also from within, Europe must prepare an exit strategy. … Several European governments are mulling ways to ease a lockdown imposed to contain the highly contagious coronavirus.”
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Wednesday 15. April
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Valitsuse tegevusega koroonakriisis on rahul kõikide erakondade valijad
(ERR)
“Valitsuse tegevusega on kõige rohkem rahul (summeeritud vastused "väga rahul" või pigem rahul") Isamaa valijad - neist andis valitsuse tegevusele positiivse hinnangu 90 %. Loogiliselt oli rahulolu valitsuse tegevusega kõrge ka teiste valitsusparteide, EKRE (86 %) ja Keskerakonna (84 %) valijate seas. … Kui Reformierakonna valijatest on presidendi tegevusega rahul 75 %, siis skaala teises otsas on EKRE valijad, kellest vaid 13 % on presidendi tegevusega rahul.”
Why Skype remains key to Estonia’s digital success
(Emerging Europe)
Several smaller schools across Estonia to close this fall
(ERR)
“The current school year will be the last at Krabi School, a private school in Võru County whose activity license was revoked. Mattias Basic School, a private school in Tallinn, will also be closing, as will Põlula School in Lääne-Viru County, Kavastu Kindergarten-Primary School in Tartu County, which going forward will operate only as a kindergarten, and Libaste Kindergarten-Primary School in Pärnu County.”
—
“Tallinn Pääsküla High School will continue operating as a basic school. Adult high schools in Võru and Rakvere will also be closing, with its students to be redirected to Võru County Vocational Training Center and Rakvere Vocational School …”
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Tuesday 14. April
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What should the EU do about Hungary?
(Politico-Europe)
“With Europe in the grips of the coronavirus epidemic, the Hungarian parliament approved laws giving Prime Minister Viktor Orbán new powers to fight the virus and rule by decree without a set time limit. … Members of the European Parliament voiced fears that the bill spells the end of Hungarian democracy and called for a European response.”
Coronavirus Has Paralyzed Europe’s Far Right
(Foreign Policy)
“Far-right parties that are in power, to be sure, have already used the coronavirus as an opportunity to push through further authoritarian measures: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has passed legislation that significantly expands his emergency powers without an end date, and Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party is pushing ahead with a May presidential election despite the fact that its lockdown effectively prevents an actual campaign from taking place.”
—
“Ironically, this newfound situation comes despite the fact that such parties—which have long advocated for a Europe with internal borders and strong nation-states that look out for their own citizens first—have actually in the short term gotten much of what they wanted. Still, no longer able to dominate the political discussion the way they usually do as the outbreak rages on, they’re now struggling to find attention and a coherent message.”
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Monday 13. April
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Estonia Signs Contract To Develop Command Platform For NATO Cyber Range
(Spacewatch)
“‘Cyber defense is part of NATO’s core mission of collective defense, and Estonian companies have once again proven that Estonia is a cyber state and there is no such complex and unsolvable cyber projects that cannot be implemented’, added Priit Soosaar, Strategic Category Manager (C4I, Cyber and Radars) for the ECDI.”
The Role of Civil Society Amid the Crisis
(CEPA)
“… during the pandemic, governments in the (Central and Eastern European) region have understandably put in place measures restricting civilian gatherings, monitoring their movements, postponing elections, and closing borders to halt the spread of the disease. However, some of these steps are cause for worry, especially the increased surveillance of civilians, suspensions of human rights protections, and tighter restrictions on freedom of expression and independent media. … During the COVID-19 pandemic, governments in Hungary, Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Moldova, and Romania, have implemented states of emergencies that were either not imposed by constitutional means or do not have a sunset clause indicating when such an extraordinary period will end after the crisis subsides.
The Atlantic Alliance Had Preexisting Conditions. The Pandemic Will Worsen Them
(War on the Rocks)
“The novel coronavirus is clearly a big deal — economically, politically, and socially. … One trend the crisis seems likely to reinforce is the Trump administration’s well-earned reputation in Europe as an unreliable ally.”
—
“Europeans once might have expected the U.S. president to lead the world in a coordinated response to such a disease — as President George W. Bush did on the AIDS crisis and President Obama did with Ebola. Instead, Europeans have noticed that the United States is now home to the world’s largest number of reported COVID-19 cases and deaths from the virus — in part due to the administration’s egregious mismanagement.”
—
“The crisis will also exacerbate longstanding debates about burden-sharing within NATO, an obsession for Trump. … But with European budgets under extraordinary pressure from their devastated economies and the social and stimulus spending made necessary by the pandemic, future European defense budgets are more likely to be cut than increased.”
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