Saarts: Public Opinion Shows Estonia Still Post-Communist State
Tallinn University political scientist Tõnis Saarts said the split in opinion towards same-sex marriage and homosexuality runs through the border of Western and Eastern Europe.
“The current hoopla shows very clearly how far off are the values on which the Estonian political culture are built on, from North and West Europe and how we are more like a typical post-communist nation,” he said.
He said both IRL and the Center Party do not dare raise their voices on the subject, fearing to be pushed into the same boat as the loud anti-Cohabitation Act protesters.
Sunday's protests showed there are many people against the bill, Saarts said, adding that the tone of the demonstration, as painted by the media, did not motivate politicians to change their tune.
A recently conducted Emor poll showed only 16 percent of people who would vote for the Center Party also backed the bill. Of IRL voters, 38 percent support the legislation, while 39 percent of Social Democrat voters and 44 percent of the Reform Party voters are in favor.