EDITORIAL ⟩ We offer a better path

Young Russian: Please, borrow me the psaltery, Vanemuine! Vanemuine (mythological Estonian figures): Only if you will promise that you don't make it a balalaika. Illustration: Urmas Nemvalts

• Integration in Estonia shows improvement.
• Sociological data may not capture the full picture.
• Russia does not present a compelling alternative to Estonia.

The ninth integration monitoring report (2023), the results of which were presented to the public on Tuesday, shows several positive findings. In recent years, there has been an increase both in the number of people of other ethnicities who speak Estonian well and in those who feel they belong to Estonian society.

 These findings warrant a cautiously optimistic outlook. It is plausible that societal shifts have indeed taken place, as reliably detected by pollster Kantar Emor's sociological survey (comparing responses from ethnic and non-ethnic Estonians). However, when interpreting subgroup results (defined by various characteristics), caution is advised due to the survey's sample size being just over 1,500 respondents.

What should make us most cautious, however, is a parallel to a real-life joke from Russia. What does the high approval rating of Vladimir Putin indicate? It says less about trust in Putin and more about the mistrust towards the sociologist conducting the survey.

A well-known phenomenon in sociology is respondents' desire to please the interviewer by responding in what they perceive as the «correct» manner. The outbreak of the war in Ukraine and Russian television propaganda intensifying have undoubtedly impacted Estonia's Russian-speaking community and increased polarization.

Some insights can be gleaned from the last parliamentary elections, where only Estonian citizens could run. It is worth recalling that 14,605 citizens voted for the Estonian United Left Party, one of the leaders of which, Aivo Peterson, holds very clear Putinist views and has visited Donetsk with the help of Russian authorities. Candles and flowers having been placed at the former site of the Narva tank monument after its removal in August 2022 further illustrates this point.

Nevertheless, acknowledging these realities does not imply skepticism towards the progress of integration in Estonia. It merely highlights our lack of precise knowledge about the number of individuals identified in the survey as «weakly integrated and actively critical.» They might have either chosen not to participate in the survey or might not have provided accurate responses.

A significant number of young people from other ethnic backgrounds are not only fluent in Estonian but also feel a sense of belonging in Estonia.

Having said that, it is reasonable to focus on the part of the glass that is full. A significant number of young people from other ethnic backgrounds are not only fluent in Estonian but also feel a sense of belonging in Estonia and actively engage in societal activities. The upcoming shift to education exclusively in Estonian is expected to further facilitate the process of integration.

If the Estonian state lasts another 30 years and we manage to avoid an economic collapse, the issue with individuals who are weakly integrated and critical of the Estonian state will naturally dissolve. Especially since the narrative created by Putin, «don't criticize the authorities and we will ensure your progress and future,» has been crumbling for many reasons in recent months. In other words, the alternative offered by Russia to life in economically successful Estonia is decidedly lacking.