Die Politisierung der ethnischen Differenz

Abstract

The thesis examines processes of ethnic mobility under the conditions of the transition of former Soviet Republics, which are characterised by the existence of a large Russian minority within the total population, to market economies. This research issue is examined by means of a case study on the former Soviet Republic of Estonia, which became a sovereign state in 1991 and where Russians constitute more than 30% of the population. In order to estimate their uniqueness and generalizability, the findings of the case study are compared to the situation in the Ukraine. After discussing the theoretical preconditions for ethnic mobilisation in general, ethno-policy and cultural standardization are examined as crucial factors for discrimination and exclusion of the Russian minority in Estonia. The change of ethnic relations after the breakdown of the Soviet Union and the advent of "new" nationalism in the former Soviet Republics, as well as new regulations of citizenship and language policies, are core aspects of this part of the analysis. The author argues that together with regional disparities these changes in policies and regulations affected dramatically the social structures of the Estonian and Russian population, pushing the Russians more and more to the edge of the Estonian society and economy. The author's core argument is that the current ethnic situation in Estonia results from successful ethnic mobilisation of the Estonians during the downfall of the Soviet system and a failure of ethnic mobilisation of the Russian population in response to the emerging nationalism of and discrimination through the Estonians. The analysis of the current situation and possible future developments - with special attention to the EU enlargement - shows that despite a certain lack of "political agents" among the Russian minority in Estonia, it cannot be taken for granted that the achieved status of "ethical peace" will continue in the long run. Thus, the concept of Estonia as a model for the successful pacification of ethnic conflicts is clearly denied. In contrast, according to the author, the EU, which so far has not provided a solution for minority and ethnic problems, must be prepared for such conflicts to gain new explosive force after the EU enlargement.