Tunne Kelam: More rights than in Russia - Putin's propaganda
Tunne Kelam, famous Estonian freedom fighter and Member of the European Parliament, spoke with Globalo about the successful integration of Russian culture in Estonia and why we can’t allow Russian propaganda to destroy the trust that has been build over decades.
According to Kelam, the Russian speaking people of Estonia, which account for about a third of the total population, in generaly are very well integrated in Estonian society. “The Russian culture will always be there in Estonia, and very much recognized“, Kelam said.
However, he also made clear that ” the impact of Russian TV channels on our Russian language population” has been an obstacle. Lamenting that Russian media has now become an integrated part of Mr Putin’s revanchist agenda, Kelam stated that this type of propaganda is “trying to incite local Russians”.
Ironically, according to Kelam, Estonia has been doing a much better job at protecting individual rights, including those of its Russian population, than the autocratic regime in Moscow ever could.