Main narratives:
- The police state enhances its surveillance;
- Anti-government sentiments;
- Russophobia in Estonia.
Overview:
Estonia is experiencing an intense public debate about its expanding surveillance infrastructure, with concerns being raised about the country’s potential to become a “police state”. This discourse is fuelled by the government’s plans to implement advanced surveillance technologies, including facial recognition and automated data collection systems, as the Estonian Ministry of the Interior and the Police and Border Guard Board develop a nationwide surveillance network. As the number of CCTV cameras increases, there are plans to add artificial intelligence capabilities to the existing network to improve threat detection and resource allocation. The expansion of surveillance technologies has raised legal and ethical concerns among officials and the public. There are also concerns about the potential for unauthorised access to surveillance data. Pro-Kremlin commentators on social media have criticised the government, suggesting a lack of transparency in the decision-making process and that Estonia is becoming a police state. This narrative is consistent with broader Russian disinformation strategies aimed at undermining trust in democratic institutions and sowing discord within Estonian society. In addition, online trolls disrupt meaningful dialogue, spread conspiracy theories, and create the illusion of widespread opposition to surveillance measures.
Early last week, another heated debate erupted over the use of the Russian language in medical institutions. It was sparked by an article published on rus.postimees.ee, which told the story of a Tallinn resident, Natalia, who sought emergency care at the Northern Estonia Medical Centre (PERH). Later, her husband reported that the attending doctor expressed strong dissatisfaction with the patient’s insufficient knowledge of Estonian. The doctor insisted on his perfect command of Russian, but declared a principled refusal to speak it. The hospital management later issued a press release stating, among other things, that patients who do not speak Estonian should come to appointments with an interpreter or someone who can help them communicate. On social media, the story was seen as yet another example of Russophobia. Emotions ran even higher after Social Affairs Minister Ms. Joller said that it was the patient’s responsibility to understand the official language. Arkadi Popov, the director of West Tallinn Central Hospital, tried to calm tensions by saying that his institution is always ready to help patients who do not speak Estonian. In any case, this incident could become another “gift” for Kremlin propaganda.
