Euroscepticism in the Russian-Speaking Community of Estonia: Modern Trends and Prospects

The attitude of Russian-speaking people living in the Republic of Estonia towards the processes of European integration has undergone some transformation since the restoration of Estonia’s independence in 1991 to the present day. A significant part of the representatives of national minorities in this state governed by Eurooptimistic political elites is attributed to a quite widespread Euroscepticism. This article is an attempt to analyze the features of Eurosceptic views among the modern large Russian-speaking community of Estonia, as well as to assess the extent of the spread of Eurosceptic ideas there. A typical portrait of a Eurosceptic Russian-speaking voter in Estonia is addressed, especially one who lives in areas of compact settlement of Russian speakers in this state. A circle of Eurosceptic parties in Estonia has been identified that have influenced the attitude of Russian-speaking residents of Estonia towards the EU. The content of the Eurosceptic beliefs of the Russian-speaking voter is revealed. The reasons for the traditional popularity of Eurosceptic ideas among the Russian- speaking population are determined, as well as the extent of anti-EU sentiment in the Russian-speaking community of Estonia. A number of factors have been identified that traditionally influence the sustainability of Euroscepticism in regions of Estonia with a significant Russian-speaking population. It is concluded that if in the 1990s an impressive part of the Russian-speaking residents experienced neutral or even Euro-optimistic sentiments ( largely due to their unfulfilled hopes for a qualitative improvement in their discriminatory situation after Estonia joined the EU), then while they gradually discovered that no radical transformations were expected (largely due to Brussels’ reluctance to put appropriate pressure on Tallinn), their generally pro-EU position transformed into Euroscepticism. The paper concludes that currently the Euroscepticism of the Russian-speaking population of Estonia is characterized by a trend towards a relative stabilization of the Eurosceptic sentiments of voters. The author using institutional and discursive methods makes a forecast on the future development of Eurosceptic sentiments among Russian-speaking residents in the medium term.