Nordic Countries Line Up to Support Estonia “Yes” Vote to EU

Estonia's Nordic neighbors are lining up to support a "yes" vote in next month's European Union referendum with high-profile visits, while trying to dodge charges of meddling in the Baltic country's internal affairs. Denmark, Sweden, and Finland are all rushing to the aid of Estonia's EU supporters, with Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen kicking off the visits on Monday evening. Estonians vote on September 14 on EU membership, and while recent polls suggest a thin margin in favor of approval, the government is not yet home and dry. Fogh Rasmussen will meet with Estonia's head of government Juhan Parts for talks about Europe, and will participate in a political rally on Tuesday. But after the Estonian no-camp accused foreign representatives of interfering in their country's internal affairs, the visitors will need to tread carefully. Controversy grew after diplomats from EU countries participated in a campaign by the EU Commission throughout Estonia, causing an outcry from euro-opponents. "This is a clear interference in Estonia's internal affairs, something which diplomats are barred from doing under the Vienna Convention," fumed Martin Helme, the leader of the Estonian no-campaign. Swedish Charge d'Affaires Karl-Olof Andersson played down the accusation, admitting however that he had spiced up the EU information "with a positive tone". The accusation had sufficient sting for the Danish spokesman to point out that Fogh Rasmussen "did not want to intervene directly in the referendum question which is a sovereign decision to be taken by the Estonian people". Swedish Prime Minister Goeran Persson, who goes to Tallinn on August 28, will be able to tell his Estonian hosts that he knows exactly what it feels like to face a popular vote without the certainty of winning. One the same day that Estonia votes on Europe, Swedes are to decide on whether to swap the krona for the euro, and polls have consistently pointed to a victory for the no-camp.