It has become almost a tautological necessity for the Estonian polity to reaffirm support for the European Union. As member nation there should really be no need to poll the people other than for justification that the right decision was taken. But, in view of how membership has not brought the immediate expectations but rather the reality of belonging in a top-heavy and bureaucratically addled union, the views of euroskeptics should be heard as often as the polls praising the EU.

In Estonia support for the EU has risen to lofty heights, the latest EMOR (Estonian Market Opinion Research) public opinion poll released last week shows that 70% of Estonian residents approved of EU membership. We would be remiss here if we did not ask what the poll actually posed to respondents - all that EMOR, like most Gallup-type organizations released was a statistical breakdown of the respondents according to age, income and ethnicity. Surprise - the most fervent EU supporters are those with the most personally to gain, those under 35 and over 51; the most significant increase in support occurred in the lower-than-median income group. Among those at the top and bottom ends of the income scale support actually dropped by 4%. Finally, no difference in ethnicity, a mere 1% separated the support levels of Estonians and non-Estonians.

The EMOR poll was released at a time when many are beginning to realize that the EU is not likely to be as protective of an organization as was hoped. Russia keeps facing down the EU, and again, it is all about oil and energy. Remember, Europe is Russia's biggest oil customer, were Moscow to turn off the tap, Europeans would be left to the mercy of the mercenary OPEC.

There are many in Estonia who still do not want to be part of a "European superstate" which spews out too many rules and regulations while interpreting them liberally.

The EU is rapidly becoming a special interest dominated group, much like Canada where social policy is influenced by a minority. Canada also suffers from the disease of wanting to be a socialist country running a capitalist free-market system, which simply does not work, and helps explain why the education system is in such a mess, and why health care issues will never be resolved before deciding what model this country wants to follow. Precisely the persisent problem present in the workings of the EU - reality versus head-in-the-clouds idealism.

Estonian euroskeptics are well organized, and even a year after the referendum are working to educate their compatriots. The Uurimiskeskus Vaba Euroopa (the Research Center Free Europe) was established three years ago and produces a well-written, well balanced journal These Tides Now into its 24th issue, These Tides is a colourful quarterly magazine published in support of EU-critical groups all over Europe and keeps all those 'working for the post-EU Europe' informed about campaigns and sources of information from across the continent. Although published in Estonia, the journal is international. It carries articles about EU-critical movements both within EU member countries and beyond, with news from all areas of EU-critical thought and activity in Britain and overseas. It covers the ideas and activities of an international movement of people searching and campaigning for a better future for co-operation in Europe than the EU. This magazine definitely merits investigation by our readers. (Visit their web site www.ukve.ee for more.)

David Wilkinson, a Conservative party member from the U.K., is the magazine's editor, and was interviewed by Alec Charles of the The Baltic Times, for a piece titled "Estonian Euroskeptics continue to fight for their corner", (Oct 13). Wilkinson believes that EU views are shifting. Charles quotes him as saying "Most Estonians are willing to call themselves Eurorealists today. They cannot bring themselves to be so politically incorrect as to doubt the mantra that EU is Europe, but they are prepared to admit that the costs are dangerously high. People are coming to see that we were right about the EU. I hate to say it, but I told you so."

Well, it is perhaps a little presumptuous to be expressing a told-you-so viewpoint so soon. Ivar Raig is the UKVE chairman, also former Estonian Riigikogu member, who in an interesting twist chaired the committee that prepared Estonia for integration into the EU. Raig favours a wait-and-see policy, for it is too early to judge whether 67% of Estonians were right or wrong in answering the referendum question. Raig believes that it will take at least six years, possibly longer, before an assessment can be made.

According to Charles, Raig believes that EU membership will lead to higher prices in Estonia, but not higher salaries. Which is where the EMOR poll lacks some accuracy - the young Estonian entrepreneurs, especially those fortunate enough to be working for big multinationals will see personal wealth increase, but those on the fringes, those hoping that belonging to the EU will create a trickle-down effect will see more hardship, the numbers of poor will increase, disparities will be more pronounced.

The final word should be given to Uno Silberg, who questions the legality of EU membership. Charles' article quotes the former head of economics at Estonia's Ministry of Agriculture as calling the entire process a "contradiction to the Estonian constitution". Silberg draws the inevitable comparison with "joining" the Soviet Union. Joining the EU is, in his words, "an act against the constitution and the sovereignty of the nation - a kind of treason."

Harsh words, but ones that need to be expressed and disseminated. Let's remember that skepticism is an act of intellectual caution, a suspension of judgment on the basis of some criteria of certainty, particularly in absence of conclusive evidence; questioning or doubting as a means to gaining absolute or relative certainty.

Confusion of skepticism with cynicism does not help matters. Cynicism expresses a lack of confidence in the hope of success of an enterprise. Skepticism is diametrically opposed to dogmatism, which rules the EU's affairs. Can a 19th century-style customs union fare well in the 21st century? The jury is out, and the presence of the Estonian euroskeptics is a positive sign, required in any true democracy

Arvamus

TRENDING