Main narratives:
- Support for Ukraine is ineffective;
- Estonia is controlled by foreign powers;
- Claims of alleged russophobia.
Overview:
One of the most discussed news stories in Estonia was the results of the presidential election in the U.S. In some social media networks, Donald Trump’s victory was served by users and commentators through the lens of pro-Kremlin narratives, as if the next U.S. administration would be more open to “constructive dialogue” with Russia, especially on issues related to the war in Ukraine. Moreover, some gloating opinions were expressed that Mr. Trump would “finally force Ukraine to surrender and accept peace on American and Russian terms”. In addition, some messages contributed to one of the Kremlin’s disinformation narratives, according to which Estonia is “totally dependent on the US” and therefore must now abandon pro-Ukrainian and anti-Russian rhetoric.
Another major news item of the week was the government’s decision to approve a bill proposing amendments to the Estonian constitution that would deprive Russian and Belarusian citizens of their right to vote in local elections. However, according to the draft submitted to the Riigikogu, the holders of so-called “Grey alien passports” would retain their right to vote in municipal elections. This development has sparked debate about the legitimacy of such changes and their potential impact on the feelings of the target group. Some columnists pointed out that changing the constitution could signal a failure of the integration process in Estonia and lead to the radicalization of the Russian-speaking part of society. Many critical comments were made in many Russian-speaking social media groups.
