Estonian Social Democratic Party on Some of the Most Important Problems Facing Estonia

In: Nationalities papers: the journal of nationalism and ethnicity, Band 23, Heft 1, S. 223-226

Abstract

The most important issue in today's Estonia is undoubtedly everyday security in the streets and at home. As there has been an explosive growth in crime and particularly serious crime, the police often lack the resources (both time and people) to tackle petty crime which affects the man on the street most directly. Most of the serious crimes are connected with the settling of accounts among criminal gangs which can affect ordinary citizens too, since they are often accidentally caught up in such conflicts. Organized crime is directed at making new successful businessmen pay "taxes," which in future can slow down economic activity, although this is not happening yet. Currently, part of the "successful" criminal structures try to secure positions in legal economic structures (by money laundering), and there are clear indications that at least some of them have succeeded. The main roots of organized crime are in the former Soviet Union, and insufficient border control contributes to its penetration into Estonia. The criminal gangs of the former Soviet Union are not just a problem for Estonia or the Baltics but also for the police in Central and Western Europe. Besides, the spread of organized crime may rest on structures created on the instructions and financing of the KGB, and that in certain situations these structures may serve political orders.