At the European Russian Forum, which is now underway in Brussels with the support of the Russkiy Mir Foundation, Yana Toom, a Member of the European Parliament from Estonia, participated in a discussion devoted to the new paradigm in international relations. She spoke with the Russkiy Mir Portal about this and her work to protest the Russian-speaking minority from discrimination.
— We are in the midst of a transition period when the influence of the United States and the Western world is rapidly declining. Politics is largely based on economic issues and foreign political influence is converted into rather specific economic benefits. The US and EU are not going to give up without a fight – they will have trouble coming to terms with those who challenged their hegemony. Russia, which voluntarily or not has become a leader of the third world represents a threat to the existing order. Normalization of relations with Russia will only be possible when the world once again reaches a state of equilibrium. This equilibrium is based on a new model of international economic relations. But what kind of model will this be? We don’t know yet.
And that means that it is not possible to build and prognoses. The one thing that has to be understood is that the disagreements are not about Crimea or Ukraine but rather are of a fundamental nature. The international isolation of Russia turned out to be a bluff. This means that new ways will be sought out to put pressure on the Kremlin. Under such conditions it is important to work with Western politicians who are ready to hear the other side and find a compromise.
— You not too long ago became a Member of the European Parliament. What is being done in the interest of the Russian-speaking community of Estonia and other Russian communities which have their rights violated?
— Clearly, only three months of real work in the European Parliament is not a sufficient time to be reporting any successes. I getting acquainted with the parliamentarian instruments, you could say, building contacts, trying to articulately and calmly portray my point of view to opponents. And of course I work in my three committees – Culture and Education, Employment and Social Affairs, and Petitions.
Unfortunately, in the context of working in all three committees the problem of national minorities is no something that is easily highlighted. We met last week with the Education Commissioner Tibor Navracsics and talked about the need to prevent discrimination in education. European Commissioner for Social Affairs Marianne Thyssen during hearing expressed her support for initiatives aimed at fighting against discrimination in the labor market. I have no doubt, for example, that the disproportionately high language requirements on the labor market of Estonia represent a hindrance to the free movement of labor, despite the legislative caveats. I think that for the resolution of such problems procedures of the Petitions Committee could be put to use.
— In your opinion, is it realistic to expect that the situation with the Russian-speaking minority of the Baltic states (and not only there) could become a subject of parliamentary discussions?
— It’s not so difficult to say something, including at the European Parliament when you have a received a mandate. It is more complicated to make yourself heard, and that is what I am working on at the moment.