Russophone Population in Finland and Estonia: Redefining the Character of the International Society in the Baltic Sea Region?

Abstract

The main task of this research is to characterize the Baltic Sea region international society by analyzing the domestic discussions, which are capable of affecting the sectors as well as the institutions of this international society. These domestic discussions are situated around one certain issue: the presence of the Russophone population in Estonia and Finland. Conclusively, it will be probed how the approaches towards the Russophone population in result of such events as the Bronze Soldier riots in Estonia and the war in Georgia but also the Russian real estate acquisition in Finland enable to characterise the Baltic Sea region international society. This aim is accompanied by the claim that the way an issue is talked about domestically can have implications on the level of the international society which on its turn means that international societies can be created by words. In order to undertake the task of this research, the analytical concepts of the English School IR Theory will be used and the speech act method proposed by the Copenhagen School theorists applied as the analytic tool. The English School theorists bring out three possible arrangements at the international political realm: international system, international society and a world society. This study mostly touches upon the international society concept and its possible character as solidarist or pluralist.Barry Buzan’s elaboration of the primary and also secondary institutions of an international society provide a tool which enables to link the results of the analysis carried out according to the method prposed by the Copenhagen School theorists with the English School theorists’ arguments about an international society.

It is concluded that the international society in Baltic Sea region acquired numerous different characteristics in result of the aforementioned events and a tendency. These characteristics vary when it comes to different primary institutions and different geographical locations. In general terms, however, it is a pluralist international society with the main aim to maintain the order. The latter can be done by keeping the agreements, protecing the possessions and guarding the security. It is also important that the Baltic Sea region international society was largely formed upon the solidarist primary institutions but the existence of certain conflictual areas also gave it a baggage of pluralist primary institutions. The results of the analysis show that in case the presence of the Russophone population is securitized, the pluralist primary institutions may start challenging the solidarist primary institutions and in case it is desecuritized, the opposite would take place. When this happens, the international society in the Baltic Sea region might have to be redefined.

Asiasanat:Russophone population, Baltic Sea region, international society, international system, speech acts, securitization, desecuritization, English School, Copenhagen School.