On the ability to resist

Arnold Ruutel played a key role in drawing up the Declaration of Sovereignty adopted by Soviet Estonia’s Supreme Council in November 1988. When still a boy, he saw the Soviet troops occupy his country as a result of a Stalin-Hitler secret pact. Six decades later Estonia joined NATO and the EU during his presidency. On May 12, 1990, the leaders of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia signed the Declaration of Unanimity and Cooperation in Tallinn on Ruutel’s initiative. “The cohesion of the Baltic states on the eve of the USSR collapse played a crucial role in achieving independence,” he emphasized at a recent forum of ex-presidents, “Through Dialogue to Trust and Peace,” organized by the International Center for Baltic-Black Sea Studies and Consensus Practices. In an interview with Den/The Day, Arnold RUUTEL focuses on the restoration of Estonia’s statehood and the current mood in the region.

 “I WAS SUMMONED FOR A TOUGH TALK, BUT WE DID NOT RETREAT”

Estonia was the first USSR republic to set in motion the process of withdrawing from the Soviet Union. On November 16, 1988, the Supreme Council of Estonia with you at the head voted for the state’s sovereignty and the supremacy of local laws over the central ones. To what extent difficult was it to struggle with the Kremlin for independence at the time?

“It was really difficult. I was summoned for a tough talk on November 15, 1988, and requested to explain what this initiative meant. I was told it was a serious breach of the Soviet Constitution, but I went on standing my ground. There were more talks of this kind in Moscow and at other levels. But I came back to Tallinn, and the Supreme Council finally passed the Declaration on November 16.

“Then I was summoned to Moscow again, and the Presidium put this question on the agenda on November 23, 1988. They resolved to consider Estonia’s decision null and void. But we did not retreat and, from that moment onwards, passed 130 laws aimed, above all, at reforming the legal system of Estonia. And, what is more, we began to live in accordance with the passed laws. We were aware that, by gradually bringing our laws into line with European Union standards, we will speed up the restoration of our independence and withdrawal from the USSR. Indeed, we then managed to join the EU very fast, in a record short time.”

“THE SCIENTIFIC APPROACH LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR RAPID DEVELOPMENT”

What have you managed to achieve and to what extent has Estonia changed in the 25 years of independence?

“What we had done is very serious work – both in the Soviet era and after a complete liberation. Firstly, the Estonian territory was literally studded with military units and missile sites, which had a harmful effect on the environment. We managed to fully clean up the territory of Estonia by the 2000s. On the other hand, we faced the problem of improving the legal and financial systems. The introduction of a national currency also required new laws. We did all this at a rapid pace. If you compare all in-transit societies and see various international ratings, we in fact outpaced everybody else. What helped us was science – namely, the Academic Council under the president, which comprised top members of the Academy of Sciences, university rectors, and the most prominent scientists in various fields, who were seriously mapping out the program of development. This process is still underway. The scientific approach helped us very much to lay the groundwork for rapid development. Although parliament and the government kept changing, as did the international situation, we managed to keep up this pace of development. Of course, we would like to achieve more, but it’s better not to overdo things.”

“WE FEEL PROTECTED BY THE ALLIANCE. I WISH UKRAINE HAD THIS KIND OF PROTECTION”

You said at the Kyiv forum that the Baltic countries’ cooperation was very important on the path to independence. Do the Baltic countries coordinate in any way their actions today against Russia? And to what extent is Russia’s presence felt in the region, particularly in Estonia?

“Now, taking into account the Ukraine and Crimea issue and European Union decisions, we have drastically reduced or even practically terminated our relations with Russia – above all, in the field of energy and, partially, in the sphere of scientific and cultural contacts. After the events in Ukraine, we also feel a threat from Russia. We must not forget that a lot of Russian retired army officers and their families still remain in Estonia, which has an impact on public sentiments. We have taken some serious unilateral measures to reinforce our defense, and NATO and the European Union are now holding multinational military exercises on our territory. We feel protected by the Alliance, for Article 5 of the treaty guarantees security to all members of this organization. It is being proved and implemented as much as possible. I wish Ukraine had this kind of protection.”

“ESTONIA HAS A STRONG HISTORICAL MEMORY”

Although Russia is in fact at war with Ukraine, Moldova and Bulgaria have elected pro-Russian presidents. Is a turnaround towards Russia possible in the Baltic countries?

“I don’t think so because, in spite of there being a large number of Russian speakers in the region – in Estonia they account for 25-26 percent – other sentiments prevail in society. Estonia and the Baltic countries as a whole went through hard times in the struggle for independence. About two million people stood shoulder to shoulder from Vilnius to Tallinn. Or take, for example, the annual Songfests attended by 150-200 thousand people, which shows the importance of Estonian identity and traditions. Our nation has a strong historical memory – we lost approximately a fifth of the population due to Soviet occupation, we saw repressions, arrests, and executions of army officers. Statistically on the average, every family has lost at least one person. So the memory of generations says: never again to Russia!”

“THE BALTIC-BLACK SEA SECURITY BELT: A POLITICAL IMPLEMENTATION IS IMPORTANT”

To what extent promising and viable do you think the Baltic-Black Sea security belt is?

“This subject has been repeatedly broached in history, but this is the first time we met at such a well-organized and decisive forum. We represent the nations that were under Russia or some other states for a long time but managed to preserve their culture, history, and country, although they were, and some of them still are, politically weak. This creates the necessity of making a joint effort to accelerate development. What is important is a political implementation – we should show other states how to reform the political environment in order to achieve the set goals. Some countries have already elected people who do not understand the importance of this issue. I mean these deviations are possible, for it is a normal thing in the development of today’s world. The main thing is to move on. Some people can think very quickly and some require more time to understand what is going on in the world.”

“A HIGH LEVEL OF THE APPLICATION OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES MEANS TRADITIONS OF GOOD EDUCATION”

What are the points of economic growth in Estonia?

“The secret is how to build a workable system. I would give the following example: society is a pyramid whose base is the grassroots, nongovernmental organizations, and local self-government, while parliament, the government, and the president are its apex, and one must do his or her best for the benefit of the base, see to it that all these ‘organs’ are healthy and develop, and adjust the law accordingly. There is no universal recipe – there must be scientifically tested algorithms for every country.”

Estonia is called the “No. 1 electronic state.” How did you manage to reach this level?

“The demand for and a high level of the application of digital technologies are a result of the traditions of good education. Our universities are among the world’s Top 100. Naturally, this system was not created in just 10 years – this process began much earlier, for it was historically predetermined. I myself was a rector, and my educational institution was one of the best in the Soviet Union. Scientists should be encouraged to be part of the ‘pyramid’ of society. People should be prepared and ready to accept and bring to fruition the ‘electronic’ state.”

“OVER 80 PERCENT OF ESTONIANS FAVOR THE EU NOW”

What is the attitude to the European Union in Estonia today?

“In the beginning, only 35 percent favored accession to the European Union. I would go from city to city, from district to district, explaining that, with due account of all factors, we must integrate into the EU. The people entrusted this matter to me. And, gradually, the percentage of those who favored the European vector rose to 65 at the moment of entry into the EU. Now, according to opinion polls, more than 80 percent support this, whereas this indicator of public mood is a great deal lower in other EU countries. I am convinced that Ukraine will also have a European future – but only if it seriously improves the performance of its legal, economic, social, financial, and banking systems. You are widely expected to do so.”