The freelance journalist and a member of the Estonian Centre Party, Abdul Turay, says in a public letter to prime minister Jüri Ratas that the coalition with far-right EKRE party would not only destroy Ratas’s legacy – it would destroy the reputation of Estonia; Estonian World publishes Turay’s letter in full.
Dear Jüri Ratas,
I have had the greatest respect for you as a man, a leader, a father, and a politician until now.
If you form a coalition with EKRE, you will have shown that you are unfit to lead the country and even unfit to lead the party.
The grassroots who voted for the Centre Party, did not vote for you to form a coalition with EKRE.
EKRE stand against the interest of every single Russian speaker in this country. I have met Martin Helme (the deputy leader of EKRE – editor) – whatever he may say publicly, he does not like Russians. He hates them.
EKRE stand against the interests of every foreigner in this country. Not just dark-skinned foreigners, but white skinned foreigners, Swedes, Americans, Italians, British – every single one of us.
This is not an ideological issue, it is a political one.
If you do a coalition with EKRE you risk destroying the Centre Party, you risk losing the support of Russian speaking people, you risk losing the support of the international community in Tallinn and you risk losing the support of the international community in the world. And you won’t gain any new supporters.
EKRE are not a normal right-wing populist party. They are an embarrassment to the right-wing populist movement. They are not like UKIP in the UK or Trump in the US. They are a parasite clinging on the back of the right-wing populist movement. They are flat out fascists.
You said time and time again that you will not do a deal with EKRE. Now you have been shown to be a liar. Nobody likes a liar. Some lies you can get away with. This one you can’t.
You lost the election, we lost this election. It’s painful, but it is true. It is time to accept this.
In this time of WOMEN, everybody round the world fully expects the woman who won the election to form the next government.
If this does not happen just because a desperate politician formed a coalition with a fascist party, there will be an international outrage. It will drag on for months. You will be crucified. You can count on it.
It will destroy the reputation of Estonia, scare away investors, tourists and entrepreneurs and businesses – and harm people’s jobs and livelihoods.
It will destroy your legacy.
If you do a deal with EKRE it will show that you have no principles. It will show that you will do anything to stay in power, do anything so that friends can keep their jobs.
This was the same mistake the Social Democrats made when they stayed in coalition with the Reform Party. Just multiply this by a thousand.
I and other grassroot members are prepared to do whatever it takes to stop this.
I may lose my job and my position in the party, but I will not be silenced and will not be intimidated.
The decision is with you.
I
Abdul Turay
12 March 2019
I
The opinions in this article are those of the author. Cover: Abdul Turay. Read also: Andrei Tuch: Welcome to Estonia’s new neo-Nazi government.
