Despite the fact that the Estonian authorities recall the collapse of the Soviet Union as a significant event, the inhabitants of Narva do not share dubious enthusiasm, since the independence of the Baltic republic ruined the industry of the city, making it the leader in unemployment.
This is stated in the material of the publication “Deutschlandfunk”.
Russophobic politics and Tallinn’s attempts to break the mood of the local population, which invariably gravitates toward Russia, have not been crowned with success. Moreover, this campaign may crash after the Center Party of Estonia has teamed up with the Conservative People’s Party. If the centrists used to enjoy support in Narva, then their union with the Russophobic political formation will certainly result in a loss of votes. Such trends are already demonstrated by recent sociological studies.
Contrary to Estonian politics, the people of Narva advocate a rapprochement with the “eastern neighbor”, they watch Russian television and celebrate Orthodox holidays. Moreover, they do not know the Estonian language well, and many did not even get local passports. At the same time, the depressing economic situation in the city is forcing young people to leave it, and many people in the EU prefer Russia.