Estonia

"The Singing Revolution" opens in Los Angeles December 7

The film The Singing Revolution about Estonia's independence movement from the Soviet Union in 1991 will be opening in Los Angeles December 7, 2008. For screening times in Los Angeles and around the US, click here.

Click here for trailer.

Amnesty International Fires Off Letter to Ansip

Recent ammendments on the "Law on Language" go into effect tomorrow March 1st which according to Amnesty International "extend the powers of the Language Inspectorate to recommending dismissals of employees for insufficient Estonian language skills, making people who already have a language certificate re-sit a language exam and nullifying the language certificates of those who fail a re-sit of their language exam."

This law targets ethnic Russians who make up one third of  Estonia's population.  While I have been sympathetic to the country's need to do what it can to preserve its cultural heritage, especially in light of its recent past as an occupied country by the Russians, the Germans and then by the Soviets after World War II, this law will do more to exacerbate the integration issues facing ethnic Russians and Estonians than ease them. 

A poignant story in Amnesty's recent letter to Andrus Ansip underscores this point:

I used to work as a taxi driver but lost my job thanks to the Language Inspectorate. They call you to the transport commission for the slightest infraction of the high way code where the ladies from the Language Inspectorate are waiting for you. Everything is well planned. They call only the Russian speakers. They can sack you not because you are a bad worker, not because passengers have been complaining but because you don't know Estonian well. I have three children, a mortgage and an alcoholic husband but nobody cares. I have to pay for language courses and they are not cheap -- two or three monthly salaries. I don't have a job and I cannot pay for the Estonian language courses. How am I going to live? Isn't this discrimination?"

Unfortunately, the Language Inspectorate appears to be employing the same draconian methods practiced by Estonia's past enemies.  I can understand the need for language proficiency, but Estonia should then do all it can to ensure that Russians can speak the language by providing free classes at a minimum.  Every economist knows that the key to sustainable GDP growth is increased productivity -- something Estonia has not been able to generate recently despite its progressive economic policies and technologically savvy work force, which has accrued benefits mainly to those in the big cities like Tallinn, but not for ethnic Russians particularly in rural regions. 

Estonia's economic miracle can only continue if the country insures that its labor force is highly competitive.  It must do more to integrate Russians more fully which means at the very least granting them citizenship while also providing them with the language skills and job training necessary to work alongside fellow Estonians as equals.   Marginalizing Russians can only prolong animosity and harm economic and social progress in the long run.

Estonia First to Vote Over the Web

TALLINN, Feb 28 - About one in 30 Estonian voters cast ballots via the Internet this week when the country became the first in the world to allow Web voting for national parliamentary elections, officials said on Wednesday.

Voters in the Baltic country were given the chance to vote via the Internet from Feb. 26-28 before the actual polling day on March 4.

A total of 30,275 out of 940,000 registered voters cast their ballots via the Web, said the officials.

"We are happy with this number. I personally would not have expected so many electronic voters," said Epp Maaten, deputy head of the national electoral commission.

Estonia used Web voting for elections once before but that was in more limited local polls in 2005 when nearly 10,000 voted through the Internet. It is a new sign of Estonia's strong embrace of technology since it quit the Soviet Union in 1991.

To cast ballots via the Internet, voters had to use their state-issued ID cards and enter two passwords.

Pollsters expect the present two main coalition parties, the centre-right Reform Party and left-leaning Centre Party, to both do well in the elections, but it is not clear which will be the biggest.

Reform leader Andrus Ansip is the current prime minister.

Copyright 2007 Reuters.

Bronze Soldier Gets Second Chance

President Toomas Ilves vetoed legislation to remove the notorious Bronze Soldier from the center of Tallinn today claiming the measure violated the constitution.  The WWII memorial has been at the center of controversy for months now.  Many ethnic Estonians see the statue as a reminder of Soviet occupation while ethnic Russians living in Estonia and in Russia (along with WWII veterans around the globe) feel its removal endorses Nazism since the statue commemorates the soviets who freed Estonia from German occupation during the War.   

Vociferous complaints have been made by the highest of Russian officials including Vladamir Putin.  These complaints add to the tension between the two countries.  Estonia continues to try flex its new found muscle as a newly independent state, though its attempt to remove the statue appears to be backfiring. 

Russians represent one third of the Estonian population, yet the majority of them have not been granted citizenship which does nothing to smooth relations between these two main ethnic groups.  Perhaps Ilves's recent veto is an attempt to soften his anti-Russian stance and begin the honorable task of truly integrating Estonian-Russians into Estonian society. 

Estonia set for world's first Internet election

Coming up on March 4th, Estonians will hold the world's first vote over the internet.  According to Reuters, E-voting will be introduced for a parliamentary election for the first time after it was used in more limited local elections in 2005. It is a fresh sign of Estonia's strong embrace of technology since it quit the Soviet Union in 1991 and another example of its innovative culture. 

Estonia pioneered a flat tax in 1992, is paying women to have babies in order to stem its declining population and built the world's first free city-wide wifi network in its capital city Tallinn.  Estonians were some of the first to use online banking 10 years ago even though many of its residents didn't have ready access to the internet or much money. 

The tiny Baltic country's infrastructure was decrepit after its independence in the early 1990's. Even today, outside the glitzy new skyscrapers of Tallinn city center, buildings look battered, roads are potholed and Soviet-era trolley buses still whirr around town.

"One of the most common explanations as to why Estonians have taken to new IT technology is that everything had to be done new here," said Jaan Tallinn, a senior programmer involved in the development of Skype.

"There were no legacies to deal with, like with bank cheques, which were already obsolete. So companies could create new systems and people just used them," he added.

Estonia's Population Still Dropping

Despite the fact that Estonia recorded a higher number of births in July 2006, its population is still declining.  Not only do the July figures represent an anomaly, but they are also subject to change.  According to the Interior Ministry, a total of 1,341 births and 1,314 deaths were registered during the month. 

Some of the July figures, however, include births and deaths in June and the births figure includes still born children.  Other factors like Estonian residents living abroad still need to be tabulated and will be eliminated.  The gap between deaths and births thus far this year is 1,832. 

Estonia Backs EU Constitution

Estonia was the 15th European nation to ratify the EU constitution yesterday.  15 down, 10 more to go.  EU-wide ratification will likely remain stalled, however, as the Netherlands and France rejected the constitution last year.  While 67% of Estonians support adoption, many are concerned that tighter integration could promote inflation, as was the case when Estonia joined in 2004.  And still others consider the EU constitution an elite, remote project.  "It is doubtful the vote on the constitution will have any significance for the EU. Estonians don't really care, they don't really know what it is," political analyst Kadri Liik said.

Establishing Residency in Estonia

Yesterday I ventured off to the local immigration office in Tallinn.  The office is tucked into a non-descript neighborhood and looks a little dilapidated. When I first visited back in December 2005, I was afraid to enter the building figuring that I was going to have to deal with a bureaucratic quagmire.  Quite the contrary.  Wile busy, the staff are very friendly and are clearly eager to issue  residency permits.  Additionally, while there is an annual immigration quota not to exceed 5% of the Estonian population, EU, Japanese and American citizens are except.

Establishing residency in Estonia helps foreign investors  acquire cheap  capital.  Banks will lend money at lower rates (~3.5%) to investors who obtain residency status and doing so is quite easy.  All that is required is for candidates to prove that they have earned $12,000-$13,000 over the last six months and maintain medical insurance.  Of course, candidates must fill out several forms requiring nominal data, such as home address, education, reason for requesting residency and a resume. 

A full list of requirements can be found on the Immigration Office web site, along with forms that can be filled out electronically.   It usually takes about three months for Immigration Office to approve or reject an application.

Walk about in Tallinn

It's Easter Sunday and I've been in Tallinn for nearly a week now.  Yesterday I took a walk around the old town for the first time expecting to be disappointed, that my memory of Tallinn's charm would have been unjustified.  On the contrary -- the city does have this incredible personality and magic about it.  I mentioned this to Darren Goodson over drinks later, who is author of a real estate investment manual on Tallinn, and he agreed wholeheartedly.  He's traveled extensively and visited many of the world's capitals (all in Europe and some in Asia) and he feels that Tallinn "has it all".  Beautiful architecture, a thriving metropolis, great nightlife, booming economy all while being small enough to get around on by foot. 

Speaking of getting around on foot, two days ago I spent the afternoon walking outside the city center.  Much of the city still suffers from decay, years of neglect and soviet style architecture.  I walked along Liivalaia up to Suur Ameerika to review a new development there.  This area is quite dusty and busy, so even though its only a 6 minute walk from the center, I found it unappealing.  I then walked down to the Luther Quarter which is even further from the town center.  I wanted to see the Luther development which is now under construction.  Originally a large factory / warehouse of some sort, the complex is being converted into lofts with over 180 apartments.  I liked the area and felt that  over time the neighborhood will  one day be a highly desirable place to live.  I may purchase a loft there soon.

I walked north back toward town along Herme street to view another development underway, which has all been sold out.  It too sits in the middle of a somewhat older, less affluent neighborhood, but again appears to be ripe for a makeover.  The area borders a cemetery to the east and Liivalaia toward the north.  In fact, as I emerged from the neighborhood, I was surprised to find myself in front of the Olympia hotel.  I didn't recognize where I was since I'm new to the area but also because when I had stayed at the Olympia back in September '05, the trees were lush with leaves.  In any case, I feel that it will only be a matter of time before this neighborhood becomes quite desirable. 

Balts featured in LA Times

The LA Times published a story on the Baltic States on the front page of the Sunday Travel section on April 9, 2006.  It was good to see the three countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania featured so prominently.  However, the article didn't get my blood moving about the Balts, except Riga.  The author, Beverly Beyette, didn't really have the time to dig into her journey too much and consequently this superficial piece makes glancing remarks about the region's history and the architecture.  More...>>

Recent articles by the NY Times, for instance, proved much more interesting and relevant.  Read a sample here: Download the_baltic_life.doc .