Monday 11 July 2016

Kalle Muuli (extracts): Estonian Commentary on Brexit and EU Reform

[I  (=Kmo) continue to regard the UK decision to leave the EU as unfortunate, both for the UK and for Europe at large. But I do now find a well-nuanced commentary in Estonian from an author, Kalle Muuli,  in whose judgements I have some confidence. - Mr Muuli, although having been in the unacceptable and irredeemable CP-USSR (the "Party")  in the period 1984-1989, was also a member of the 1990 Eesti Kongress - in other words, was ultimately prominent in the sounder, more radical, of the two principal Estonian anti-Party political camps during the Gorbachev-era ferment. This was a ferment which culminated in the 1991-08-20 affirmation that Estonia is outside the USSR. Mr Muuli  has given nuanced support to the parliamentary grouping of Mr Mart Laar. From my own distant vantage point, here in Canada, I consider Mr Laar's grouping to have acted soundly, in the Estonian and wider European interest, by putting Estonia onto an appropriately Nordic and Western economic, political, and diplomatic path. I have read with  profit and fascination one of Mr Muuli's three political-history books, Isamaa tagatuba. Mart Laari valitsus 1992–1994. Here I repeat most of what Mr Muuli has to say on Brexit at http://online.le.ee/2016/07/03/kalle-muuli-brexit-kui-eesti-voimalus/  -  first quoting him, then offering my own translation. I am hoping my non-Estonian readers will profit from what appears a sane, thoughtful, voice in our emerging pan-European debate.] 


La Manche`i väina taga on 17,4 miljonit lolli ja nüüd tuleb neist kiiresti lahti saada – nii võiks kokku võtta Euroopa Komisjoni reaktsiooni Brexitile.  - Behind the Channel are 17.4 million idiots, and now it is necessary to get rid of them quickly - that's how one might sum up the European Commission's reaction to Brexit. 

Euroopa Komisjoni kõige tähtsam ülesanne tundus olevat saada Suurbritannialt võimalikult kiiresti lahkumisavaldus. Veidi veeti vägikaigast ka selle üle, kes peaks hakkama lahkumisläbirääkimisi pidama, kas ülemkogu või komisjon. Aga miks üldse otsustas Euroopa üks mõjukamaid ja võimsamaid riike liidust lahkuda? Mis on ELis valesti ja mida teha, et EL ei laguneks? Milline on Euroopa Komisjoni vastutus? Need küsimused ei huvitanud peale ajakirjanduse ja paari-kolme Ida-Euroopa riigijuhi õieti kedagi. - The most important task for the European Comnmission seemed to be to get Great Britain to submit its exit application as quickly as possible. There was a little bit of tussling also over the question who ought to be conducting the exit negotiations - Council, or on the contrary Commission. But why, in the first place, did one of Europe's most influential and powerful states decide to exit the Union? What is wrong with the EU, and what needs to be done to prevent the EU from falling apart? What is the nature of the European Commission's remit? These questions did not particularly interest anyone, apart from  journalists and two or three Eastern European national leaders.  

Võimalik, et Euroopa Komisjoni juht Jean-Claude Juncker tõstis lahkumisläbirääkimised esiplaanile just tähelepanu kõrvale juhtimiseks teistelt tülikailt küsimustelt, sest mõni neist puudutab valusalt ka tema enda tööd ja ametikohta. Tõenäolisem on siiski see, et ELi juhid lihtsalt ei taju, kui suur on lõhe rahva ja Brüsselisse koondunud eliidi vahel. Just see lõhe viiski Brexitini ja närib tervet ELi nagu koi kallist riiet.- It is possible that European Commission leader Jean-Claude Junker put the exit negotiations front and centre with the aim of diverting attention from other troublesome questions, since some of these touch, in a painful way, also on his own work and official position. All the same, it is more likely that the leaders of the European Union simply don't understand how wide is the gap between the people and the elite assembled at Brussels. It was just this gap that took things to the point of Brexit, and it is chewing away at the entire EU like a moth attacking expensive fabric. 

ELi poliitikuil ja ametnikel on mis tahes rahulolematusele alati varnast võtta lihtne seletus: rahulolematud on äärmuslased ja populistid või lihtsalt rumalad inimesed. Ungarist ja isegi Poolast võib säärase suhtumisega kõrgilt mööda vaadata – need ju mingid „alaarenenud” Ida-Euroopa riigikesed. Aga kui ühel hetkel on ka Suurbritannias rahuolematuid 52 protsenti? Siis ei saa enam rääkida ainult äärmuslusest ja populismist. Siis peame rääkima Euroopa Liidu kriisist.  - EU politicians and officials have always, in the face of any public discontent of any kind, a simple explanation ready to hand: the malcontents are extremists and populists, or are simply silly people. One can along these lines gaze with haughty disdain over Hungary, and even over Poland - these are, after all, some kind of nice little "underdeveloped" Eastern European states. But what if, one day, 52 percent of the British are among the malcontents? In that case, one can no longer speak only of extremism and populism. At that point, we're forced to speak of an EU crisis. 

Kahjuks ei erinenud ka Eesti riigijuhtide seisukohavõtud Brexiti järel kuigi palju Junckeri ülbest põrpimisest. „Ärme hakkame nüüd süüdlasi otsima,” teatas peaminister Taavi Rõivas ja lisas, et EL vajab Suurbritanniaga läbirääkimisteks ühtsust. Välisminister Marina Kaljurand keskendus samuti läbirääkimistele ja rõhutas, et ELi suhted Suurbritanniaga peavad ka edaspidi jääma sõbralikeks. - Unfortunately, the declarations of Estonian leaders did not differ much from Juncker's lofty avowals of astonishment. "Let us not now start looking for people to blame," said Prime Minister Taavi Rõivas - and he added that the EU needs unity, in the face of the impending negotiations with Great Britain. Foreign Minister Marina Kaljurand likewise focussed on the negotiations, stressing that EU relations with Great Britain must continue to be friendly. 

EL vajab ühtsust, selge see, aga ainult ühtsuse deklareerimine ilma vigade analüüsita ja parandamiseta ei aita ühtsusele kuidagi kaasa. Eesti valitsuse kramplik soov hoiduda Euroopa Komisjoni lolluste kritiseerimisest mitte ei liida, vaid hoopis lammutab, nii nagu ausa tagasiside puudumine ikka. - The EU needs unity, to be sure, but bare declarations of unity without the analysis and remedying of errors do not in any way help promote unity. The Estonian government's unbending resolve to refrain from criticizing the idiocies of the European Commission does not unify, but on the contrary suffocates, as is always the case when honest feedback is lacking. 

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Suurbritanniast erinevalt pole Eestil võimalik valida Euroopa Liidu ja iseseisvuse vahel. Meie valik on üksnes Brüssel või Moskva. Kas see või teine, kolmandat teed pole – vähemalt nii palju võiksime oma ajaloost õppida. Seepärast peavad meie riigijuhid olema iseäranis huvitatud Euroopa poliitilist eliiti ja rahvast lahutava lõhe vähendamisest. Euroopa Liit vajab põhjalikke ümberkorraldusi ja eelkõige vajab ümberkorraldamist ELi juhtimine. Euroopa Komisjonil puudub side rahvaga ja vastutus rahva ees. - In contrast with Great Britain, it is not possible for Estonia to choose between the EU and independence. Our choice is only between Brussels and Moscow. One or the other: there is no third avenue - this much, at least, we might learn from our history. Our national leaders must therefore take special  interest in the narrowing of the gap that separates the European political elite from the people. The EU needs fundamental reform, and first of all EU governance needs reform. The European Commission lacks a link with the people, and it lacks responsibility before the people. 

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2018. aastal peaks Eestist saama ELi eesistuja. Brexiti tõttu võib Eesti eesistumisaeg alata varem ja kesta tavapärasest kauem. Meie riigijuhid võiksid selles näha Eesti suurt võimalust olla ELi uuendamise eestvedaja. - In 2018, Estonia is supposed to be taking its turn as an EU presiding state. Because of Brexit, Estonia's turn to preside may come earlier, and it may last longer than has been customary. Our national leaders might be able to see in this Estonia's big chance to take an initiative in renewing the EU. 
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