Eesti in brief - 2010-09-30

  • 2010-09-29

Fifty-one percent of Estonian residents support transition to the euro, while 43 percent are against it, reports National Broadcasting citing a fresh poll by Faktum & Ariko. Both the number of supporters and opponents had fallen by 1 percentage point as compared to the previous poll in July. Although the support among the polled Russian-speakers was just 38 percent, it was by 6 percentage points higher than in July. The support among Estonian speakers fell by 1 percentage point. The main reason for opposing the euro is a fear of price increases. A full 68 percent of the polled believe that the euro will bring a general price increase. The number has fallen by 8 percentage points from July. 85 percent of people think they are well enough informed about the euro, but that figure has fallen by 4 percentage points. The support of Estonian people for EU membership was 77 percent, 1 percentage point less than in July. Faktum & Ariko carried out the poll on Sept. 3-10 and polled 500 people from the age of 15-74. The study was commissioned by the State Chancellery and Finance Ministry.

President Toomas Hendrik Ilves said in a statement dedicated to the resistance day on Sept. 22 that Estonia’s freedom was restored thanks to “our firm faith in our state and our strength to withstand attempts to let Estonia be forgotten,” reports Postimees Online. “We are proud of the many people who fought in Estonia against the occupations of the Communist Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, even when the situation seemed hopeless,” Ilves wrote.  “Their activities showed that fighting for one’s state is never in vain,” said Ilves. “Our gratitude and respect goes to all those who stood for an independent and democratic Estonia and against the forces of evil during the occupations.” In 1944, on Sept. 22, Soviet forces reached Tallinn, which had been abandoned by German troops. The Pikk Hermann Tower bore the Estonian national flag and a government, led by Otto Tief, had been appointed. Veterans of the Soviet army and a part of the Russian-speaking population celebrates Sept. 22 as the day of liberating Tallinn of German occupants.