Messages in the Media - University of Toronto

society. Russia’s government subscribes to the realist doctrine
of world affairs, whereby military power and strategic
national interests play the decisive role. That is why energy
and membership in the WTO are so important to Russia – a
strong state needs a strong economy.
People who emphasize human rights and civil liberties
point out that their government is afraid of the European
liberalism. They believe that the European example
and pressure make the state, which detests any attempt to
interfere with its internal affairs, apprehensive. This is because
“free-thinking people are enemies of arrogant
thieves.” 43
Russia and the EU held a summit meeting in December
2011, which prompted the Russian Institute of
Modern development to produce a 30-page report on the
state of relations between the two parties. 44 While the report
criticized Brussels’ technocracy and the propensity of
the EU to get into matters outside of its competence – “[b]ig
questions related to politics should be left up to appropriate
negotiation forums” – it also recommended that the
Russian government should remember the importance that
the EU accord to human rights. 45 Experts asked the government
not to ignore the EU’s calls for the development of
democracy.
In summary, from the Russian perspective, the EU
is not unified: those who hold power are sceptical of it, except
when it comes to economic questions. On the other
hand, intellectuals and educated citizens look to it for promotion
and protection of human rights and civil liberties.
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