The superiority of the intellectual aristocracy and experts and the plurality of opinion in the digital age do not mix. This fundamental controversy has people confused, Tõnis Saarts finds in Vikerraadio s daily comment.
When member of the government s COVID-19 scientific advisory council Dr. Peep Talving was attacked a few weeks ago, the media and public were shocked but immediately adopted the version where the good doctor was attacked as an expert by anti-vaccine and anti-restrictions activists.
Even though circumstances that have come to light since hint at different motives, it is telling how quickly people came to believe the version where Talving was harassed as an expert.
The Center Party, which has seen a slump in support among Russian speaking voters in recent weeks, should be worried about the local government elections in the autumn, Tallinn Universities s political scientist Tõnis Saarts said. Additionally, with the change of government, a new confrontation between EKRE and the Reform Party has appeared. The Center Party definitely has to be worried in its main target areas Tallinn and Ida-Viru County. Today, a big victory is not so certain. So I doubt these local government elections will be successful for the party, Saarts said.
He said the Center Party s biggest worry is not that Russian voters will not support the party in such high numbers, but that Russian voters will not be motivated to vote at all. Because the Center Party will have been in power for five years by then and it could be asked what has it done for Russian voters - what are these notable policies? The answer is very little or even nothing, Saarts admitted.