#15 - JRL 9133 - JRL Home
US Department of State
Bureau of Intelligence and Research
Foreign Media Reaction
April 26, 2005
RUSSIA
President Putin's "nostalgia" for the Soviet Union leads non-Russian observers to term his state of the nation speech "disturbing." Putin's "attempt to woo" Russians who long for the USSR's "order" is "downright sinister" and indicates "yet another step away from democratization" by Moscow. "The paths to development have turned into blind alleys.... The Soviet Union primarily was a system to fortify power. This unfortunately also seems to be Putin's priority." (Svenska Dagbladet, Sweden)
Euro writers dismiss Putin's "shining picture" of Russia's future as "totally absurd"; they "remain suspicious" over the "discrepancy between Putin's words and deeds." Russian papers say Putin's reform proposals "surpassed all expectations" and add the speech's positive aspects "by far outweigh what is negative." "The promises made can and must be kept.... If we are to stay out of trouble, we need to implement the basic provisions of the presidential address." (Vedomosti, Russia)
EUROPEAN UNION MOVES [DJ: This section not here.]....
Prepared by Media Reaction Branch (202) 203-7888, rmrmail@state.gov
Media Reaction reporting conveys the spectrum of foreign press sentiment. Posts select commentary to provide a representative picture of local editorial opinion. This report summarizes and interprets foreign editorial opinion and does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Government.
EDITORS: Rupert D. Vaughan, Ben Goldberg
RUSSIA
RUSSIA: "Liberalism With Human Face"
Reformist Izvestiya declared (4/26): "Putin's address-2005 is a program of Russian social liberalism. It sounds like the rehabilitation of liberalism and contains concrete proposals and ideas. There is no sense in speaking about Vladimir Putin's 'political will'--he is not leaving, yet.... But the little liberal things proposed in the address may well become a 'roadmap' for the incumbent's successor."
"Address Surpasses Expectations"
Andrey Denisov said in reformist Vremya Novostey (4/26): "Vladimir Putin was expected to confirm his commitment to democracy and liberal values. But his message surpassed all expectations.... He outlined three directions of official policy: the government; two, the law and political system; and three, the individual and civil society. As the speaker explained, the government, law, and political system are subservient to the interests of the individual. He had never been so clear and definite, speaking of such things earlier. Clearly, the ruling elite was taken by surprise, as the President attacked it, slamming the corruption, irresponsibility and incompetence of the bureaucracy.... What the President said about Russia's political and economic development as a social state with a strong private sector, obviously, coincided with what European democracies went through in the second half of the past century."
"Putin Vs Kremlin"
Mikhail Rostovskiy commented in youth-oriented Moskovskiy Komsomolets (4/26): "No doubt, there are quite a few novelties in what was proposed by the President. But will they solve the formidable problems facing the nation? The answer is obvious. Some of those ideas won't work. For instance, you have to be very naïve to believe that the Public Chamber can handle the state-owned television. Some phrases in the address sounded ambiguous.... 'Those who do not observe or enforce human rights cannot demand that others observe them,' said Putin, hinting at the Baltic states and the West. He might say that about Russia, as well. Human rights are not observed in Chechnya and elsewhere. Even so, what is positive in the address by far outweighs what is negative. Based on the address, the government must be aware of the real situation in the country. And that is good enough, given the current political climate."
"Revolutionary"
Nikolay Vardul and Dmitriy Kamyshev pointed out in business-oriented reformist Kommersant (4/26): "The address sounded almost revolutionary: the President, in effect, joined the opposition, both left and right. While the liberals must be satisfied with the economic segment of the speech, those on the left wing of the political spectrum must hail many political conclusions in it."
"Screw Tightening Is No Answer"
Business-oriented Vedomosti maintained (4/26): "The promises made can and must be kept. The wave of 'flower revolutions' sweeping across CIS countries shows that tightening screws is no help. If we are to stay out of trouble, we need to implement the basic provisions of the presidential address."
"Words And Deeds"
Nationalist pro-opposition Sovetskaya Rossiya remarked (4/26): "Those familiar with Putin's addresses know that the finer the words, the worse the deeds."
BRITAIN: "Business And Freedom Go Together"
An editorial in the left-of-center Independent read (4/26): "The world should remain suspicious of Mr. Putin's government. The Russian President may now be saying some of the right things. But serious questions remain about whether he has the political will--or the authority--to deliver the liberalisation that Russia needs."
"Putin's Way"
The left-of-center Guardian asserted (4/26): "Against a background of friction with the US and Europe over Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova and Belarus, Mr. Putin may be drawing himself up to his full height before he hosts George Bush and other world leaders on May 9 on the 60th anniversary of the end of the second world war in Europe. For many Russians, that will be yet another ambiguous reminder of how much their world has changed."
"Putin's Promises: But Will His Officials Live Up To His Words?"
The independent Financial Times commented (4/26): "As Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, has stressed, the world will be watching for what tomorrow's sentencing of Mr. Khodorkovsky and one of his business partners, after their trial on charges of fraud and tax evasion, says about the rule of law in Russia. The test will almost certainly be failed, even though Mr. Putin contends this trial is only the equivalent of the Enron trials in the US."
GERMANY: "Futurist Putin"
Matthias Dobrinsky filed the following editorial for center-left Sueddeutsche Zeitung of Munich (4/26): "Russia must remember its democratic roots, respect human rights, and create an independent judiciary.... It was not an international foreign minister, not a citizens' rights group or an international investment club, which raised these demands, no, it was Russia's President Putin.... He painted a shining picture of Russia's future. But like previous presidential statements on democracy, they have one flaw: they are usually held in the future tense. The Russia of Vladimir Putin embarked upon a path to a democratic rule of law years ago. But the bad thing is that it has hardly made any progress on this path. The Russians are used to this kind of statements from their time as Soviet citizens.... But Putin does not always say this and believes something else. In his speech, he complained about the end of the Soviet Union and said it was a 'geo-political disaster.' At least he means this word by word."
"Soviet Nostalgics"
Business-oriented Handelsblatt of Duesseldorf argued (4/26): "Russia has a problem: its president delivers wise addresses, promises legal certainty and democracy, but reality of Russian government actions is turning everything into the crass opposite. That is why many wonder who is really governing in Russia.... It is certainly right to have an elected president in the Kremlin with all his false convictions rather than a junta whose decisions would be unpredictable. But in view of the discrepancy between Putin's words and deeds the difference is getting smaller. His speech on the state of the Russian union documented that Putin's views are partly totally absurd. He really described the fall of the...Soviet Union as the 'greatest geo-political disaster of the century,' and, at the same time, he praised Russia's path to democracy. But even in the sixth year of his presidency, it is totally open where he will lead it to.... This inevitably leads to a deficit of legal certainty, and this, in turn, impedes the investment climate and worry entrepreneurs. The Kremlin leader should make clear where he wants to lead his country. And he should support this move with a clear personnel management, especially by appointing a new prime minister."
AUSTRIA: "Putin: A Democrat?"
Guenter Lehofer wrote in mass-circulation provincial Kleine Zeitung (4/26): "All of a sudden, Vladimir Putin, straightforward advocate of authoritarian democracy, came up with the idea that Russia's most important problem was democratization--an idea that got him laughs from the KGB. It is possible, though, that Putin simply meant the kind of democratization that would enable him to run for President even more often. After all, should he, like his American counterpart George Bush, have to quit after just two terms in office? Shocking idea. Perhaps Putin also meant that even his most stubborn critics should become more reasonable and acknowledge his position as top dog from now on. After all, this is the essence of true Russian democracy: The Kremlin boss is the top guy. Anything else is Westernization that any upright Russian must oppose. Democracy is governance by the people and the Russian people want Putin to reign and Putin, in turn, wants to manage the Russians in such a manner that they will let him go on managing. That is true democratization à la Putin. Even the KGB applauds him. But otherwise there is silence."
DENMARK: "Putin's Nostalgia"
Center-left Politiken editorialized (4/26): "Nostalgia for the days of the Soviet Union characterized Putin's state of the nation speech.... It is perhaps banal to bring up Putin's KGB past, but he lived up to it 100 per cent yesterday with his talk of the high morals standards of the Soviet era.... With these remarks, Putin took yet another step away from democratization process.... This was a Putin on the defensive following low popularity polls and his remarks should be understood as an attempt to woo the part of the population that longs for the order of the Soviet Union. "
HUNGARY: "Uncertain Foreign Investors In Russia"
Agnes Gereben pointed out in business-oriented Vilaggazdasag (4/26): "The concept of 'sneaking re-nationalization' emerging in Russia in the past two years seems to be an insurmountable obstacle in the way of the impressive plans [to attract foreign investors].... The Kremlin's administration wants to use crude oil and gas reserves (as well as the flagships of military industry and of space research) as the tools to retain power after Putin's second presidential term ends in 2008. In addition to legislation, with the sledgehammers of jurisdiction and tax collection.... As things stand now, the Russian economy seems to be moving towards a South American model in which the government's interests of the day rather than the market determine the decisions.... The world would be a safer place if we knew what the Kremlin's real goal is by keeping foreign capital away and intimidating domestic large entrepreneurs. But the process that started with the Yukos affair has, by now, become self-propelled, and not even the president is able to control it."
SWEDEN: "Putin Appeases Everyone And Nobody"
Conservative Stockholm-based Svenska Dagbladet held (4/26): "In his annual address to the Russian Duma, President Vladimir Putin's message was that the international criticism against Russia does not bother him. Instead he defiantly said that the disintegration of the Soviet Union was 'the greatest geopolitical disaster of the century.' In short, if he had it his way, the Soviet Union still would have existed. Does this mean that Putin really wishes for the revival of the Soviet Union? At any rate it means something. His statement indicates an ideological outlook that sheds the light on the uneasiness about developments that is present in the neighboring states. To the Baltic States Putin's disaster means independence, market economy, and democracy.... Russia needs someone like Putin, one used to say. But nowadays we know this was wrong. The paths to development have turned into blind alleys.... The Soviet Union primarily was a system to fortify power. This unfortunately also seems to be Putin's priority."
"Contradictions"
Independent, liberal Stockholm-based Dagens Nyheter opined (4/26): "President Vladimir Putin, in his address to the nation, emphasized that Russia's primary aim is development as 'a free and democratic' country.' This sounds great, but it had sounded even better if he had not at the same time called the collapse of the Soviet Union 'the greatest geopolitical disaster of the century.'"
SAUDI ARABIA: "Dealing With Russia"
The pro-government English-language Arab News maintained (4/26): "Russia's President Vladimir Putin pulled few punches in his state of the nation address.... He said the collapse of the old Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the last century. He strongly defended his political changes which have refocused power in the Kremlin and warned outsiders bluntly that Russia would advance to democracy at its own pace and would take no lessons from abroad. In Washington this may very well be seen as a deliberate snub to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice whose Moscow visit last week emphasized the need for Russia to do more to promote democracy. Putin left few of his listeners in much doubt that Russia was taking no advice from any other country.... One of the more disturbing parts of his speech was his reference to the millions of Russians who found themselves outside the country's borders when the Soviet Union broke up.... For the independent Ukraine with its new independent-minded government and a large Russian minority, Putin's comments will not have played well. Indeed for all former Soviet republics with significant ethnic Russian populations, the statement could be taken as downright sinister. Among most ordinary Russians however, their tough-talking, second-term president is just the sort of leader they respond to.... . Putin may not seek a third consecutive term. Nevertheless will his substantial control over Parliament tempt him to seek a constitutional change so that he could run again? The cowed press would be unlikely to rebel.... Putin's position currently seems unassailable but long-suffering though the Russian people are, he is going to have to deliver on promises to win the Chechen war, look after pensioners, end graft and corruption and encourage economic growth.... Outside interference must be cautious.... There is the danger that a Putin administration besieged by US and European criticism will be tempted to turn insular. This may of course be precisely what Washington wants because it would remove an important counterbalance to U.S. world power."
UAE: "Challenging Task"
The English-langugae expatriate-oriented Gulf Today declared (4/26): "Russian President Vladimir Putin...asserted that Russia's main political task is to develop as a free, democratic country with European ideals. He has stressed that individual freedoms will not be compromised by the state's own strengthening.... Putin's remarks that taxes should not be used to terrorise businesses and his idea of amnesty for capital repatriation are steps in the right direction.... The fact that he is saying these things means he is holding himself up to be tested to good standards. However, he has side-stepped the hot topic of social reform.... Putin's emphasis on boosting investor confidence comes just two days before the verdict in the fraud and tax evasion trial of Yukos oil magnate Mikhail Khodorkovsky.... The relentless prosecution of Khodorkovsky...has scared off investors and triggered a wave of money out of Russia.... Putin has reasons to brood over the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union as 'the biggest geopolitical catastrophe' of the 20th century. He has warned that an 'epidemic of collapse' is today tugging at Russia itself. A wave of political changes in former Soviet states now left Belarus and Armenia as Russia's only European allies. Ukraine and Georgia have installed pro-Western governments.... The Soviet Union is now a thing of the past and the coherence of the Russian Federation today depends not on withdrawing from democracy but on strengthening democratic institutions.... Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice snubbed Putin recently by pointing out that he had accumulated too much power. A number of television companies, radio channels and newspapers have been closed down since Putin took power and other media have been brought under the control of the state or firms in which the state is the main shareholder. The list of tasks is lengthy and Putin has little choice but to face the challenge."....