Europe in Brussels part 11: Estonians prepare for EU presidency

The Republic of Estonia became independent back in 1918, though it officially took two years for it to be properly recognised through the Tartu Peace Treaty. During the second world war, it was annexed by Nazi Germany. Following this, Estonia remained a part of the Soviet Union until its downfall in 1991, when it regained its independence.

Today, the Baltic state has a modest population of 1.3 million. It is estimated that 2,000 Estonian expats live in Belgium. "The biggest reason to come here was 12 years ago, when Estonia joined the European Union," says Aivar Paidla, an Estonian translator who has been in Brussels since 2009. Many Estonians now work for the EU institutions, living in and around the capital. The number is expected to grow and possibly even double this year with the EU Council presidency beginning in July.

Aivar is also involved with the Estonian Association in Belgium which puts on many events all year round. These include the latest film screenings, a children’s choir and theatre troupe performances in Charleroi. An important day on the cultural calendar is Jaanipäev, or St John’s Day. This midsummer festival takes place on the night between 23-24 June, a few days after the summer solstice. Traditionally, these are farming festivities celebrating the fertile land and they usually involve a night of drinking and dancing.

The national day also holds some big celebrations. With next year’s centenary of independence, several events are being planned. “The Estonian Embassy and Estonian Representation have a very nice cultural program,” says Paidla. “There will be concerts with very prominent orchestras and soloists from Estonia. These will take place in Bozar, Flagey, and other nice venues.”

Estonians on Belgium

Another expat living in Brussels is Katri Varikmaa. Originally from the capital, Tallinn, she moved here about a year ago to do a six-month internship in the European Parliament. She liked it so much that she decided to stay.

"It's very multicultural," she says. "People are always so friendly and open to people from other countries. Even if you go out and you don’t know anyone, which was my case when I came here, everyone was really friendly and you can make new contacts very easily."

For first-time visitors, she suggests going to the Ardennes as well as the city of Dinant, to explore the castle and walk by the river. Meanwhile, Paidla says that he often shows visitors around the caves of Han-Sur-Lesse, the old town of Ghent, as well as the Japanese garden in Hasselt.

It goes without saying that Belgium is very different to Estonia, particularly in terms of landscape. Varikmaa says that if you travel southwards in Belgium, it doesn’t take long before you stumble upon some mountains. This is not the case with the flat Estonian landscape. "We don’t have any mountains. We have one hill that we call a mountain but it’s actually only 316 metres." This is Suur Munamägi, which comically translates as Big Egg Mountain.

Paidla’s experience of growing up in Tartu is also different to the more compact city of Brussels. Estonia has an average of 28 people by square kilometre, compared to Belgium’s 374 (and Brussels' 7,000).

The Estonian outlook

Both expats feel there are subtle differences between the Belgian and Estonian character. Varikmaa says she was struck by the greetings in Belgium. "When people greet each other, they kiss. That’s something we don’t do. We keep our distance, shake hands maybe. But, here, people are very open. They always come and kiss you and ask: 'how are you?'. And then you say: 'I’m fine, how are you?'. In Estonia, if you ask people 'how are you?', you actually expect detailed answers like how their life is going."

Paidla says that Estonians are very practical. "We don’t want to spend time for small talk." However, he says his favourite thing about Belgians is their politeness: "It’s something which gives you a very good start and a good end to the day."