No difference between Catalonian and Crimean referendums, says Korb
Secretary-general of the governing Center Party and former minister of public administration, Mihhail Korb, compared the Catalonian referendum with the one that took place in Crimea in 2014, saying that what happened in the two places was exactly the same.
Korb, who is also a member of the Riigikogu’s Foreign Affairs Committee, took part in ETV’s Suud puhtaks (“Get it off your chest”) political debate show. Asked by moderator Urmas Vaino which differences Korb sees between the Catalonian and Crimean referendums, Korb said that in both cases people had “expressed their opinion” in exactly the same way.
“The people showed up and expressed their opinion,” Korb said, confirming to Vaino that he didn’t see any difference between the two.
The official position of Estonia has been that the Catalonian referendum and what is happening in Catalonia is an internal political matter of Spain. Though there have been several comments by Estonian MPs and politicians in the matter, so far no major party politician has taken a position.
Korb forced to resign as minister following comment that Estonia shouldn’t be NATO member
In May this year Korb said at a meeting with veterans in Haapsalu that he wasn’t in favor of Estonia’s NATO membership. The comment was immediately condemned by the opposition parties, which called for his resignation.
After one of the Center Party’s junior coalition partners, the Pro Patria and Res Publica Union (IRL), also made it clear that Korb as a member of the government no longer had their support, Korb resigned.
Along with a few current and former colleagues in the Center Party, like MEP Yana Toom (Center/ALDE), MP Oudekki Loone, and MP and former party member Olga Ivanova, Korb is one of the voices who have spoken out in favor of a friendlier course in Estonia’s policies concerning Russia.
Editor: Dario Cavegn