People see sale of residence permits as entailing biggest risks for Estonia - poll

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Photo: Mihkel Maripuu / Postimees

Asked about their perception of the impact of the different scandals that have shaken Estonia of late, respondents in a recent poll picked out the scheme run by senior politicians from the Pro Patria and Res Publica Union (IRL) allowing wealthy Russian businesspeople to obtain Estonian residence permits for cash as the most dangerous for national security.

The revelation that the Reform Party had accepted donations from unnamed sources was seen to be the smallest threat to security, it appears from the poll taken by Turu-uuringute AS at the end of March.

The business run by IRL politicians making Estonian residence permits available for cash was seen as a security threat by 50 percent of respondents, including 25 percent who fully agreed that it was a security threat and 25 percent who rather agreed. Twenty percent of respondents rather did not agree and 15 percent did not agree.

The opinions of respondents whose first language in Estonian and of other other respondents differed a lot, with 64 percent of ethnic Estonians seeing transformation of residence permits into merchandise as a security threat, compared with only 15 percent non-ethnic Estonians.

The opposition Center Party's asking of money from Russia was seen as a security threat by 47 percent. Of the respondents who said so 24 percent fully agreed to its being a security threat and 23 percent rather agreed. Nineteen percent rather did not agree and 15 percent disagreed.

Again the opinions of ethnic Estonians and people speaking another language as their first language differed a lot, with 60 percent of Estonian speakers seeing it as a security threat compared with 10 percent of speakers of other languages.

Rated as the next biggest threat was the situation where a significant portion of the financing of the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDE) originates in the family and circle of the transit businessman Oleg Ossinovski. It was seen as a threat by 32 percent, including by 11 percent who fully agreed and 21 percent who rather agreed. Respondents who rather did not agree made up 26 percent and those who disagreed, 14 percent. The ethnic Estonian and Russian-speaker tally was 39 percent and 12 percent.

As regards the scandal related to the financing of the Reform Party, respondents were asked how big a threat they consider the donation of money received from unnamed businesspeople to the party by Silver Meikar to have been. It was seen as a threat by 28 percent, including by 9 percent who fully agreed and by 19 percent who rather agreed. Those who rather did not agree made up 30 percent and those who disagreed, 16 percent. Of Estonian speakers 32 percent saw it as a security threat, compared with 16 percent of people whose first language is not Estonian.

In addition the pollster asked whether the IRL Minister of Economy and Communications Juhan Parts should resign over developments related to the state-owned entities Eesti Energia, Enterprise Estonia and Estonian Air. Those believing that Parts should step down made up 56 percent of respondents, including 30 percent who fully agreed and 26 percent who rather agreed. Eighteen percent rather did not agree and 8 percent disagreed. On that subject the opinions of Estonian speakers and speakers of some other language were very close, or 57 percent and 52 percent.

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