DISINFO: Estonians no longer want to be in the EU
SUMMARY
Estonians no longer want to be in the EU. Estonia has started collecting signatures for a petition calling for a referendum on the country leaving the EU. The initiator is the Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE).
The results of the 2003 referendum on Estonia's accession to the European Union should be annulled, because, at that time, less than half of the country's citizens supported Estonia's integration into the EU and, therefore, a new referendum must be held now.
In this referendum, people must decide whether Estonia should continue to be in the EU or restore its sovereignty to such a state as of 1 May 2004.
Because of the EU membership, Estonian people have limited right to make decisions independently.
RESPONSE
The article discusses a proposal created in the The Citizen Initiative Portal rahvaalgatus.ee. The portal enables everyone to write proposals, hold discussions, compose and send digitally signed collective addresses to the Estonian Parliament.
The appeal in question has received 1656 signatures and has been sent to the Parliament to process it. Given this very low number, at this point there are no plans to have a referendum in Estonia on this matter.
According to the latest Eurobarometer survey, 64% respondents in Estonia say they trust the EU, surpassed only by Portugal (78%), Ireland (74%) and Lithuania (70%). Moreover, 89% respondents in Estonia are in favour of “a European economic and monetary union with one single currency, the euro”.
On 14 September 2003, Estonia voted in a referendum to join the EU with a decisive 67% of voters backing the membership and with 33% saying no. Turnout was high with 63% of the 850,000 eligible voters going to polling stations, which was taken to signify a stronger yes vote.
According to the Estonian Referendum Act adopted in 2002, the decision of the people in the referendum shall be reached by a majority of those who participate in the voting. The same principle applies in other countries. Accordingly, the request for the annulment of the 2003 referendum lacks a legal basis.
The claims about limited sovereignty are also used by pro-Kremlin outlets to claim how Estonia is a subordinate to the EU. Sovereignty and respect for other countries' independent rights are at the core of Western liberal democracy. There is no evidence that the EU is depriving Estonia of its sovereignty. Estonia is a fully-fledged member of the EU and NATO, where it has the same rights as any other member state.