Tõnu Naelapea

In North America we have two political, father-son dynasties. Papa Bush and Dubya. PET and his son Justin. Estonia thankfully has but one, that of a father and daughter. However, that one is riddled with past scandals, unresolved to anyone’s satisfaction, having to do with oodles of money, as is usually the case with politicians more interested in themselves than their constituents.

Of course the reference is to the Kallases. Father Siim, one of the architects of IME, the so-called wonder calling for a distinct Estonian economic system under Soviet rule that spurred the movement towards regaining independence, a former prime minister and europolitician is justifiably vilified by many for his shady past. Daughter Kaja was elected chairman of the Reform party last year, and indications are that as the Estonian proverb has it, the cone did not fall far from the stump.

And now there is another Kallas on the scene – Kristina. Henceforth any mention of Kallas following is to her. Kristina Kallas is not related to the other politicians, but has become a politician herself and has gathered quite the reputation recently.

She was one of the founders of a new party named Eesti 200, officially established on November 3rd of last year. Initially many welcomed their emergence, but as with politicians everywhere promises and reality are two different things. Eesti 200, a nice name, aiming towards a bicentennial celebration as a free, unfettered nation-state issued an interesting manifesto. Yes, that is what it was called, and alas, that name just reminds one of a totalitarian approach.

That document states that the goal of the party is to direct attention towards Estonia’s long-standing problematic issues. By doing so the party hopes to provide solutions, reforming ideas so that Estonia can focus on the future. All fine, all worthy of support. But in the lead up to the March elections Kallas and the party not only stumbled badly, but revealed their true colours. And one must say, not truly blue, black, and white.

Who is Kallas? Born in Kiviõli, a city that thanks to Soviet russification is primarily Russian, she is an educated woman, before politics dean of the Narva campus of the University of Tartu. She gained her PhD in political science at that venerable institution. The title of her thesis is telling: “Revisiting the triadic nexus: An analysis of the ethnopolitical interplay between Estonia, Russia and Estonian Russians.” She gained her Masters degree in Budapest, and allegedly became an acolyte of George Soros. She has Russian ancestry, which is not necessarily a strike against her, as almost no Estonian can claim to have no foreign ancestors. Be they Danes, Swedes or Germans, it is the reality of a nation occupied for over 700 years.

And Kallas has thrown the party’s hat into the ring by focussing on ethnic identity, integration issues. Thus revealing herself not only as a Soros follower but also as a globalist, multiculturalist who does not have Estonia’s best interest in mind.

Last week saw the eruption of a mini political brouhaha. Commuters noticed that Monday that new ads were posted at Tallinn’s Hobujaama streetcar stop, essentially dividing the platform into two sides. One for Estonians, the other for Russians. In a press conference, after the ads were removed, after being up for but a day, Kallas claimed that the intent was to emphasize the divide in the nation. Russians in their enclaves, neighbourhoods, schools. Estonians – ditto.

The ads were not identified as having been posted by Eesti 200. Merely a phone number was provided for more info. Thus potentially infringing against the country’s Advertising Act, which clearly states that any public ad must be attributed to a company, individual or party. They were indeed political adas, ptsed for shock value. While Tallinn’s bureaucrats approved the ads they certainly should not have done so.

The claim that there is no integration is patently false. While recently in Tallinn the undersigned had many an encounter with Estonians of Russian background, in the country’s only official language. While some struggled with our lovely eesti keel they took the time to try. Commendable, and no antagonism. Russians are not, repeat not victimized, there is no “segregated society”, even though the schools system has yet to be merged into one.

The problem of course has to do with the Soviet legacy, of trying to suffocate a small people by bringing in hundreds of thousands of Russians who did not wish to learn Estonian. Things are different now, thankfully. The proof is in the fact that Russian Estonians choose to live there rather than move back to Russia where the system is corrupt and life nasty, brutish and short.

Justice Minister Urmas Reinsalu (Pro Patria party) took Kallas to task in an open letter. Taking offense, rightly so, to the ads, which clearly indicate that Kallas’, Eesti 200’s plan will, long term mean the end of the Estonian people. Which is as Reinsalu so passionately argues that there will no longer be a country home to, and loved by Estonians and Russians, but merely people living in Estonia. That is the globalist multicultural agenda that is no longer overt, anywhere on this planet.

Canada is a multicultural country, where to date the majority, of British Isles heritage is not threatened. This country has learned to apply the positive aspects of multiculturalism. Immigration from Asia (there are 1,5 million Chinese-Canadians alone) is increasing yet Canadians seem to mostly welcome the self-identification of ethnic identity. Certainly much more than but a generation ort two ago. Estonia cannot afford to do so, but must fight not only for territory but to maintain language, culture, and identity. Kallas and Eesti 200 have no business espousing a globalist agenda in this context and should be shunned by any sensible Estonia-loving citizen, voter come March.
TÕNU NAELAPEA

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