Brussels, 02/02/2012 (Agence Europe) - MEPs, during discussion with the EU high representative for foreign affairs, Catherine Ashton, on Wednesday 1 February, called for democratic reform in Russia. Ashton asserted: “When societies change, political systems need to change too. More often than not, making these changes is less risky and uncertain than not making them. (…) Some - limited - political reforms have been launched. Yet the protests that started in December are set to continue”. She went on: “There is a rising group of people calling for real participation, for more decisive measures to rein in corruption and impunity, and to give more breathing space to democratic processes”.
Werner Schulz (Greens/EFA, Germany) called for the new electoral promises to come into being. Rio Oomen Ruijten (EPP, NL) spoke of the article by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin published in the press, in which Putin trusts Russia will modernise. However, Ruijten explained, Putin does not speak of citizens, of the freedom of citizens, and in a society where there is deprivation of fundamental freedoms, of fundamental rights, that cannot work.
Kriitina Ojuland (ALDE, Estonia) said demonstrations show that free and fair elections are wanted, and one should be pleased that Russian civil society has reached such maturity. It is a society that MEPs wish to help. Knut Fleckenstein (S&D, Germany) underlined that there is a movement for the defence of citizens' rights, people who call for the possibility to choose their own government. There are expectations in terms of combating corruption and against what is arbitrary. And “we must support this movement”, he added.
Helmut Scholz (GUE/NGL, Germany) said by way of conclusion: “If we want to help this change, it will not be easy. We should keep close contact with Russia. Let us speak of democracy, citizens' participation. We must focus on elections”. (CG/transl.jl)