{"id":218996,"date":"2017-06-12T11:05:17","date_gmt":"2017-06-12T15:05:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/uncategorized\/integration-and-security-estonias-russian-speaking-minority-new-eastern-europe.php"},"modified":"2017-06-12T11:05:17","modified_gmt":"2017-06-12T15:05:17","slug":"integration-and-security-estonias-russian-speaking-minority-new-eastern-europe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/socio-economic-collapse\/integration-and-security-estonias-russian-speaking-minority-new-eastern-europe.php","title":{"rendered":"Integration and security: Estonia&#8217;s Russian-speaking minority &#8211; New Eastern Europe"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><p>Published on Monday, 12 June 2017 10:35              Category: Articles and      Commentary              Written by Silviu Kondan               <\/p>\n<p>    It is no surprise that the international    community has become more preoccupied with the diplomatic    relations between Estonia and Russia. While interest in the    countrys political affairs is not particularly new, the    increasing     tensions between the Baltic states and Russia continue to    alarm those who fear the possibility of conflict.  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    Fraught relations between the European Union and Russia have    emerged at a time of increasing uncertainty regarding the EUs    collective capacity to     protect both its citizens and its borders from hybrid    security threats. In Europe, a number of occurrences involving        cyber attacks and     disinformation campaigns have alarmed policymakers who must    now broaden their activities to include the deterrence of    hybrid threats. For some, this now includes addressing cyber    vulnerabilities and prioritising ethnic inclusion as measures    to impede the exploitation of existing societal cleavages.  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    Within Estonia, minority rights and security become the    defining themes that influence integration policy. The    separation of diplomatic and constructive agreements between    Estonia and Russia means that the Russian-speaking minorities    are centralised in discussions relating to security and    integration. Estonian policy-makers must therefore consider how    to effectively balance increased security concerns with the    need to respect the autonomy and rights of the Russian-speaking    minority.  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    The Russian speaking minority*  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    Soviet occupation of Estonia between 1940 and 1991 left major    demographic legacies. While a small number of Russian-speaking    minorities were present in the country prior to 1940, by 1991    roughly one-third of the population was of Russian-speaking    decent.  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    Upon independence, Estonia established language and citizenship    laws that were foundationally based off the jus sanguinis, or    right of blood principle. Those who did not reside in Estonia    prior to 1940, which encompassed most of the Russian speakers,    were left without citizenship and were required to either claim    Russian citizenship or to naturalise as Estonian citizens.  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    Showing a clear desire to join the EU from the onset of their    independence, Estonia soon began to adopt revisions to their    citizenship and language policy in order to conform to European    Union accession requirements and to stabilise its geopolitical    security. For Europe and the West, moderating Estonias    integration policy has become a geopolitical investment for the    continent, with the aim to achieve this through the    Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europes (OSCE),    the EU accession requirements and through the NATO security    goals.  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    Minority rights and integration  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    Over the last few decades, the Estonian government has promoted    quicker and more accommodating naturalisation processes,        specifically for newborns and children. However, the fact    that the naturalisation process still exists has dissatisfied    many who question the disproportionate investment of time,    effort, and money needed to acquire the same citizenship that    an Estonian equal is granted by birth. For     others, acquiring a Russian citizenship or remaining with    undetermined citizenship has proven to have certain financial    and travel benefits and has been more practical compared to the    completion of the Estonian language tests required to    naturalise.  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    Similar sentiments have surrounded the implementation of the    60\/40 education policy which mandates the increase of    Estonian language teaching to 60 per cent of the curriculum for    Russian schools beginning in grade ten. Some parents have    publicly     objected to this policy, believing that the shift would    hinder their childrens educational development and their    Russian fluency; many believing that without adequate staffing    and resources, their children would be unable to professionally    function in either Russian or Estonian. Russian teachers have    also felt pressured to comply to curriculum standards while    also teaching enough Estonian to     pass the required language inspections.  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    Estonian integration policies, despite making large strides,    continue to drive debate and discourse surrounding nation-state    policies and minority rights.  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    Societal discontent  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    Traditionally, the integration of Central and Eastern European    (CEE) states into European bodies was an effective method for    the inclusion of ethnic minorities. However, as these processes    induced institutional adoption, they did not necessarily build    societal and ideological foundations that would translate into    an equal socio-economic footing and the respect for the    autonomy of minorities.  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    The Estonian governments     Integrating Estonia 2020 outline points to figures showing    less trust in state institutions for Russian speakers, as well    as higher rates of unemployment. The outline also indicates a    general absence of regular contact between the various    ethno-nationalities in the country. Similarly, the     2016 Mapping Statelessness in Estonia report by the United    Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reveals highly    pessimistic views amongst Russian speakers with undetermined    citizenship towards the labour market, their inclusion in    society, their political involvement and their freedom of    movement.  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    It is important to note that Russian speakers in Estonia, for    the most part,     enjoy living in the country and position themselves closer    to Europe than to Russia. This, alongside better opportunities    for a stable livelihood, does indicate a differentiation of    context between the Russian speakers in the Baltics and those    in Ukraine, regardless of discontent towards integration    policies.  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    However, some still accuse the Estonian government of    implementing a creeping assimilationist agenda. This agenda,    with further geopolitical motivations, places integration as    the responsibility of the minority with the partial support of    the government. It does not promote mutual effort towards    integration amongst the residing citizens of the state but    facilitates assimilation into a dominant society. Policies    become standardised through Russian speakers identifying with    the Estonian nation-state, their abilities to comprehend the    Estonian language, and their attainment of Estonian    citizenship. These policies, considered as progressive by some,    continue to be questioned by others who see them as    discriminatory.  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    The steps taken by the government to promote integration must    also be understood in relation to Estonias history as a state    that was left with major demographic divisions following its    independence and re-integration into Europe. Contemporarily,    Estonia continues to pursue the integration of its minorities    amidst a hard-pressed relationship with Russia. More so, during    a time of frequent global uncertainty across     the worldcaused by cyber-attacks and disinformation, it is    understandable that states must consider ethnic grievances as    an entry point for foreign interference.  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    Security threats  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    Contemporary political research on Estonia is becoming    synonymous with discussions surrounding securitisation,    geopolitics and the Russian threat. Estonia has been deemed the    most economically successful Baltic country, boasting an    impressive     2.2 per cent GDP expenditure on defence this year.    Alongside its Baltic neighbours, Estonia has pressed NATO to    prioritise their security concerns surrounding Russia using the    2008 Russo-Georgian conflict, the intervention in Eastern    Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea as examples of the    potential results of Russian aggression.  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    Security experts are now urging NATO and the Baltic governments    to approach securitisation beyond traditional understandings of    conflict. Instances of     hybrid security threats have brought new challenges for    militaries which now require the integration of multiple    sectors and industries. In fact, it has been a decade since    Estonia faced its own widespread cyber attacks propelled by the    Bronze Solider    Crisis. This incident caused the collapse of multiple    websites, banking systems and online communication platforms.  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    More recently,     reports on Baltic power grids and     hacking have shown that the Baltic states are particularly    susceptible to Russian interference. At the same time, Estonia    continues to discover instances of     Russian espionage, which raises questions regarding the    intention of Russian intelligence operations.  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    Unsurprisingly, the Trump administrations murky     relationship with NATO member states and the continuous    inquiries into the administrations possible     ties and     sympathy towards Russia, has undoubtedly contributed to    further scepticism amongst European security experts. While the    NATO alliance will     continue despite uncertainty surrounding the United States    security guarantee, the vulnerability of the Baltics without US    support is considerable.  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    Disinformation  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    Russia has been accused of perpetuating disinformation to    legitimise its own military actions on several occasions. The    use of disinformation is one strategy that continues to be of        concern due to its ability to cause internal disruption and    mistrust amongst citizens.  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    The invasion of Crimea, which     exemplified Russias ability to instigate pro-Russian    demonstrations beyond its borders and to garner local support    for annexation, has caused large-scale tensions and distrust    between the Russian-speaking minorities and the Ukrainian    government. Official Russian media reports, using    disinformation tactics, were accused of falsely     portraying the Ukrainian people as aggressive, violent and    immoral.  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    The methods of disinformation used during the Bronze Solider    Crisis have also been reported as part of Russias strategic        exploitation of ethnic divisions. Following demonstrations    spurred on by the removal of a Soviet-era statue, Russian media    reports     portrayed the Estonian state as a re-emergent fascist    government that infringed upon the Russian-speaking minority.  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    In Estonia, a country with a rocky history between the    ethno-national majority and the Russian-speaking minorities,    the psychosocial effects caused by such attacks can have dire    outcomes on the state of ethnic relations in the country. While    the situation in Estonia is distinct from that of Eastern    Ukraine and Crimea, many are still wondering if Russias    disinformation campaigns will trigger a similar irredentist    movement in the future. As such, it is understandable that the    government is being urged to implement stronger policies that    deflect Russian disinformation flowing into Estonia and that    facilitate a stronger Estonian affiliation amongst the    minorities.  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    Measuring success  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    Measuring the success of integration policies in Estonia    depends on the way in which success is understood. For some,    success can be measured by advancement in socio-economic    well-being and the autonomy of minorities. For others, success    is measured by a decrease in exposure to propaganda and through    an increase in the naturalisation and language proficiency of    the Russian speakers.  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    At a time of uncertainty, the government must balance these    approaches and decide what path it hopes to take in protecting    all of its citizens from potential instability. It is    conceivable that the guise of integration is being used as a    securitisation technique to minimise the potential eruption of    conflict, rather than serving as genuine progress toward    inclusivity, but the threat of hybrid attacks, especially those    involving disinformation, should not be underestimated.    Estonias history and its proximity to Russia will undoubtedly    continue to influence all aspects of government decision-making    and policy implementation.  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    *The term Russian-speaking minority refers to the minority    groups from across the Soviet Union who settled in Estonia    during migratory flows. This includes ethnic Russians,    Ukrainians, Belarussians, Georgians, etc.  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>    Silviu Kondan is a student at the Centre for    European, Russian and Eurasian Studies at the University of    Toronto.  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><!-- Auto Generated --><\/p>\n<p>Read more here:<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"http:\/\/www.neweasterneurope.eu\/articles-and-commentary\/2380-integration-and-security-estonia-s-russian-speaking-minority\" title=\"Integration and security: Estonia's Russian-speaking minority - New Eastern Europe\">Integration and security: Estonia's Russian-speaking minority - New Eastern Europe<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p> Published on Monday, 12 June 2017 10:35 Category: Articles and Commentary Written by Silviu Kondan It is no surprise that the international community has become more preoccupied with the diplomatic relations between Estonia and Russia. While interest in the countrys political affairs is not particularly new, the increasing tensions between the Baltic states and Russia continue to alarm those who fear the possibility of conflict. Fraught relations between the European Union and Russia have emerged at a time of increasing uncertainty regarding the EUs collective capacity to protect both its citizens and its borders from hybrid security threats <a href=\"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/socio-economic-collapse\/integration-and-security-estonias-russian-speaking-minority-new-eastern-europe.php\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"limit_modified_date":"","last_modified_date":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[431675],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-218996","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-socio-economic-collapse"],"modified_by":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/218996"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=218996"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/218996\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=218996"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=218996"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=218996"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}