Since 2004, when we joined both the European Union and NATO, the state of Estonia has created an image in Brussels as a reliable and committed member. This provided the opportunity to exert greater influence on European and world politics than could be expected given Estonia’s size.
The four pillars that define today’s world much more than they did in the early 2000s are preserving the environment, increasing the positive impact of technology, managing complex geopolitical situations, and supporting democracy. However, new trials also bring new opportunities to shape one’s future.
The first test: the environment
The European Union’s climate diplomacy can be defined in terms of two significant trends.
First, since the 2015 Paris climate agreement, the EU has proven itself as a pioneer in disseminating and promoting environmental standards in other parts of the world. A striking example is the decision of the state of California to follow the European Green Deal, which exceeds the ambitions of US legislation.
Secondly, by implementing the green revolution, the Union seeks to maintain its economic competitiveness on world markets: increase its economic independence and resilience and ensure security of supply of high-tech resources and raw materials necessary for the green revolution with the help of reliable partners.
At the heart of the European Green Deal is the objective of achieving climate neutrality by 2050 and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030. Furthermore, a CO2 pricing mechanism and incentives for companies that promote sustainability.
The Just Transition Fund, which mainly supports fossil fuel-dependent regions like Ida-Virumaa, attempts to reduce the negative socioeconomic impact of these policy measures.
Another proof: the spread of digital technology
The EU is also becoming a leader in the use of (digital) technology. Although the EU lags behind China and the United States as an innovation force due to economic factors and bureaucratic obstacles, it has managed to develop effective legislation to shape the use of new technologies so that citizens’ rights in digital field are clear and protected. The widespread adoption of the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation and AI legislation allow us to believe that this trend will continue in the future.
Furthermore, the EU has managed to extend the benefits of digital technology and e-Government beyond the borders of its member states. It is Estonia that is a leader in the digital field in Europe, thus influencing the digital future of the entire continent. Estonia has led extraordinary initiatives that shape the future of European citizens, including the completion of the Digital Single Market and the introduction of a European digital identity.
The third test: geopolitical circumstances
The EU has been an effective decision-maker in a well-regulated and predictable environment where all actors follow the rules and decisions are not rushed. However, international relations are increasingly the opposite: unpredictable and rapidly changing.
Over the last ten years, the search for consensus and cooperation on issues of global importance has gradually been replaced by comparison and competition. Hegemonies opposed to the West are emerging from Beijing to Moscow.
If in 2004 Moscow did not actively oppose the accession of the Baltic states to the EU, after Euromaidan Russia has increasingly opposed the EU and relations with its eastern neighbors. In the eyes of the Russian ruling elite, there is no big difference between NATO and the EU, both are seen as a direct threat to the survival of their former empire in the grip of the Kremlin.
It is significant that now, as the most destructive war of conquest since 1945 is taking place on European soil, the EU has managed to embark on a geopolitical revolution. Over the past 15 months, its foreign operations have changed more than in the previous 15 years.
The fourth test: protecting democracy
Elections to the European Parliament will be held next year. In front of them it is worth remembering the words of the Schuman Declaration which marks the beginning of the European integration process: “Peace in the world cannot be protected without creative efforts commensurate with the threats”.1
In the wave of crises, we have seen that when liberal democratic countries in Europe are weakly led and unable to respond effectively, authoritarian regimes mount a successful global promotional campaign for themselves. The illiberal model has gathered supporters across Europe in uncertain times.
“Nationalists, who have argued for years that the EU should be dismantled, are increasingly accusing the Union of not doing enough.”
European integration, freedoms and achievements could become one of the most visible victims of this situation. Nationalists, who have argued for years that the EU should be dismantled, increasingly accuse the Union of not doing enough. They often involve politicians and the media with their talking points.
Now more than ever, creative efforts from the democratic voices of citizens are needed to meet the challenges we face.
Can the voice of the Baltics be heard?
Although Estonia and the other Baltic states are generally considered among the most reliable members of the EU, they have also had difficulties in shaping the Union’s foreign policy and global perspective, mainly due to their peripheral location and complex historical relations with Moscow.
However, after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Estonia has demonstrated that it is possible to overcome its peripheral position with geopolitical awareness, clear objectives and great credibility. This activity amplifies the voice of the Baltic States and gives them central importance and unprecedented influence in the decision-making and political process.2
The credibility of Estonia and the other Baltic states in the West is further strengthened by their unwavering support for Ukraine and their commitment to the values of liberal democracy. This provides Estonia (unlike other countries in the region) with a strong moral basis to fight Russian imperialist expansionism and, in addition to security problems, implies overcoming the confrontation between liberal democracy and illiberal authoritarianism.
In a context where illiberalism is strengthening in Europe, Estonia has good prospects of amplifying its influence as a liberal defender in the region. Furthermore, Estonia’s credibility as a pioneer of e-governance entrusts us with the task of leading the search for a solution to the key question of how to revitalize European democracy.
The spread of Estonia’s innovative digital solutions could help bring European democracy into the 21st century and increase its resilience to old and new threats. In the digital age, Estonia also has a role to play in increasing citizen participation and strengthening the foundations of European democracy.
Nicely and as a sort of proof of Estonia’s success story, the anniversary of joining the European Union falls in the year that Tartu holds the title of European Capital of Culture.
2 Vt lisaks: S. Braghiroli, Baltic Voices – From Fringes to the Fore. – The New Eastern Europe 2023, 4.
2023-12-26 07:53:00
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