Russian Nomenklatura's Come Back

MEPs Kristiina Ojuland and Edward McMillan Scott at the ‘Freedom House’ think-tank conference

This month started with the imitative of the leader of the European Parliament ALDE group Guy Verhofstadt publicly re-launching Helsinki process to embrace the democratic aspirations of Russian genuine democratic opposition and civil society to fight the negative processes taking place after the comeback of Vladimir Putin, namely the authoritarianism and breach of basic rights and freedoms of Russian citizens.

Mr.Verhofstadt is a vocal critic of Putin’s regime and ardent supporter of Russian democratic opposition:
‘, - said Verhofstadt addressing a conference dedicated to latest developments in Russia organised by ‘Freedom House’ think-tank ( 4th March, US Congress) – It is an absolute must’ .
‘Russia has changed to worse just one year after so-called ‘presidential elections’, - continued he. – ‘It is not a Russophobe hearing, I have a great esteem of Russian people and fascination for Russian culture, but I have no illusions about the processes taking place in Russia nowadays. International community has constructed a wall between themselves and Russian realities.  The Congress, the Senate and the European Parliament have to coordinate their efforts in Russian policies’.

According to Verhofstadt ‘Magnitsky Law’ adopted in the US recently has already ‘an effect, a result’, although the admitted that he doesn’t have ambition 'to change Russia from the West', there is an urgent necessity to show that ‘we are supporting Russian people’ fighting corruption and breach of rule of law.
Apparently Mr.Verhofstadt knows well what he is tailing about as he follows the developments in Russia closely. He participated in manifestations of Russian at famous Pushkin Square in Moscow.
‘Russians has had enough. They are asking for nothing more than to respect for Russia’s constitution and Russian’s international engagements in the Council of Europe and the OSCE’, - Verhofstadt shared in his vision.  He referred to Andrey Sakharov’s interpretation of Helsinki Act insisting that no country should be above the criticism: mutual monitoring, not ‘mutual evasion’ of the problems is the basic mechanism to introduce a positive change: the rule of law in Russia.

The appeal of the necessity of the revival of Helsinki movement as a concept is strongly backed up by different political groups in Russia. Public support to the initiative of ALDE is expressed by participating in the event legendary human rights defender and chair and founding member of Moscow Helsinki group Lyudmila Alexeyeva (85), Russian former PM and democratic opposition politician Mikhail Kasyanov, member of Duma Gennady Goudkov (socialist), political scientist Lylia Shevtzova, More than three hundred participants attended the debate that followed the introductory remarks of the key note speaker. Among the others the event was addressed by the senators McGovern and Cardin, the initiators of ‘Magnitsky Law’.

In the framework of the conference 'Magnitsky Law' debate on perspectives in the EU was held with MEP Kristiina Ojuland, (ALDE) - a special reporter on 'Magnitsky recommendation' of the European Parliament.

MEP Kristiina Ojuland

‘Personally I hope that Europe will follow  US ‘Magnitsky Law’ engaging in  transatlantic approach and coordinating efforts effectively to respond to Kremlin, - said MEP Kristiina Ojuland (ADLE) at ‘Freedom House’ think-tank conference on Russia on Monday. - When we are reacting we don’t act against Russia or Russian people, but we are addressing problems created by Putin’s regime’.

MEP Ojuland is dedicated to fight endemic corruption in Putin’s Russia and is convinced that the targeted sanctions are the best in favour of supporting Russian civil society and genuine political opposition.  She reminded of Duma elections and 2012 presidential elections followed by protests of citizens ending in arrests and politically motivated processes.  Both ‘Pussy Riot’ sentence and ‘Bolotnaya’ trials are signs of a profound malaise of deterioration of the democratic values, Russia signed for in international organisations as Council of Europe and OSCE; the oblivion of Russia’s own constitutional norms chosen by the citizens back in 1992.

MEP Edward McMillan-Scott reminded that the ‘Sakharov price’ remains one of the EP forefront activities.
‘My personal experiences with Russian authorities created an impression of an immensely brutal power, - said McMillan-Scott. – We have to build our policies towards Russian on vigilance, candour and conditionality’. He outlined that the atmosphere towards Russia has changed with East democracies entering the EU, becoming more focused on developments there.

Although McMillan-Scott shares the criticism of political activist Sergei Kovalev of HR Ashton for her partnership and cooperation agreement insisting on the inclusion of the ‘third chapter’ on Human Rights in Russia, it is not easy to find a good relationship with the current regime. There is no unanimity of Russian policies in the EU today: The Netherlands, the Great Britain and Poland have resolution asking the government to Act, but is engaged in ‘patience diplomacy’.

Undoubtedly Russia is still needed for cooperation on international security, including cyber-security. However Russia next to China represents the biggest challenges for the West in XXI century.
The energy dependency on Russia is a part of this challenge to be addressed.

The conference on Russia took place ahead of the EU Council of Foreign ministers (11 of March) and EU Council (14-15 March) discussions on visa facilitation for Russian citizens and human rights.

Russian Ambassador to the EU Vladimir Chizhov said that the ‘ice is broken’ and the EU partners understood that their approach towards visa facilitation to Russians was ‘not logical’.

However the visa facilitation negotiations at upcoming meetings do not concern all the citizens but ‘some groups’, that angers Russian Internet users, who consider that their interests were neglected while the major focus is to get the privileges to ‘blue’ passports – Russian bureaucrats (between 120 000 and 150 000).  Recently Germany agreed to admit the ‘blue’ passport holders without visa that has changes the whole disposition.

The conduct of Russian foreign office putting forward the interests of Putin’s appartitchik’s or ‘nomenkaltura’, using the Soviet terminology, angers the blogosphere in Russia.  Blogger Nosik blames Russian Minister Segei Lavrov letting into oblivion the interests of Russian citizens in favour of Putin’s apparatchik’s.

The Russian blogosphere burst out in anger and dismay over the privileged position of Putin’s ‘nomenklatura’, the one largely perceived as  ‘endemically corrupt’ smuggling black money to the Europe, where they enjoy luxurious lifestyle regarding their own motherland as a prey.

Anna van Densky

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