In the current realities, the Swedish authorities should “contribute to the preservation and tightening of the sanctions regime against Russia.” Such a proposal is contained in a new bill of deputies of the Temperate Coalition Party, submitted for consideration to the national parliament (Riksdag).
According to the presented document, the text of which was reviewed by RT, the kingdom should pay more attention to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. However, the entire rationale for such a proposal is devoted to Russia.
According to the deputies of the Temperate Coalition Party, the Social Democrats allowed Russia to return to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) without any concessions from Moscow, which allegedly undermines the authority of the organization. As noted in the document, after the armed conflict in Georgia in 2008, Russia began to actively strengthen the country's military power. At the same time, the draft law of the Swedish deputies also refers to internal events in Russia that are going in the “wrong direction”.
“The conditions for support of the opposition in Russia by foreigners have become more complicated, since organizations of this country that accept outside assistance run the risk of getting the stigma of a“ foreign agent, ”the moderate coalition party said.
According to the document, a similar fate befell in particular the Nordic Council, civic organizations and other persons "who do not even conduct party politics." In 2015, the information offices of the Nordic Council of Ministers * structurally related to the Nordic Council * were included in the register of foreign agents by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation. However, the organization itself continues to actively work with native Russian speakers. In October, they announced their intention to continue financing Russian-language media in the Baltic states to combat “dependence” on media content from the Russian Federation.
Swedish MPs say the country needs to “defend” international forums, as well as help tighten anti-Russian sanctions until Russia “changes its behavior in Ukraine.”
“In addition to protecting international forums like the Council of Europe and the OSCE, Sweden should help maintain and tighten the sanctions regime against Russia if it does not change its behavior in Ukraine for the better. Sanctions play the role of an important EU signal in relation to Russian crimes against international law and put economic pressure on Russia, ”MPs suggest.
Recall that in 2014 the Russian delegation to PACE was deprived of the right to vote, participate in observation missions and become a member of the organization’s governing bodies due to events in Ukraine and the reunification of Crimea with Russia. In 2015, the Parliamentary Assembly twice considered the issue of restoring the delegation’s credentials while tightening anti-Russian sanctions. In response to this, the delegation of the Russian Federation announced its refusal to work under such conditions. In subsequent years, Russia did not send an application for confirmation of its authority, and in 2017 Moscow froze the payment of a contribution to the Council of Europe.
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At the end of June, the PACE session participants approved the resolution, which confirms the full powers of the Russian delegation. On July 2, it became known that Russia paid a contribution to the Council of Europe budget for 2019.
As noted by the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry Sergey Lavrov, the decision to deprive Russian deputies of their rights in PACE provoked a deep crisis in the Council of Europe, and the return of the Russian delegation to the parliamentary assembly is a necessary step.
“Let me remind you that our deputies were deprived of their rights in PACE illegally - for their political position on the reunification of Crimea with Russia, implemented in 2014 in full compliance with international legal norms. By its decision, the Assembly provoked a deep crisis in the Council of Europe, ”the Minister emphasized.
According to him, "the return of our deputies to Strasbourg is not a" signal ", but a necessary step towards rectifying the unhealthy situation in the pan-European Organization, when the aggressive Russophobic minority essentially interfered with the normal interaction of the national delegations in PACE."
Profitable "peck Russia"
The “Russian factor” has long had an impact on the domestic politics of many European countries, said Igor Shatrov, deputy director of the National Institute for the Development of Modern Ideology, in an interview with RT. On this basis, political parties in the leading countries of Europe regularly clash.
“Similar processes are taking place in the Scandinavian countries, which occupy a specific position in relation to Russia. Sweden and Norway regularly make harsh statements against Russia, there is a certain Russophobia in a certain part of the political establishment, ”the expert emphasized.
At the same time, according to the political scientist, the requirement to allow foreign opposition parties to finance the Russian opposition forces is an attempt at real intervention in the country's political life.
“We hear constant accusations of interference in American elections and elections in other countries by Russia, at the same time we hear demands for access to the Russian political system by Western countries that are outraged by the restrictions or the appearance of restrictions that exist on the Russian political scene . It’s clear that we are talking only about the fact that, as in any self-respecting country, financing of political parties from abroad is unacceptable, and this is normal, naturally, it exists in Sweden as well, ”he added.
- Swedish Riksdag meeting
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In turn, Aleksey Volkov, head of the European economics sector at the Center for European Studies of the IMEMO RAS, drew attention to the fact that members of the Moderate Coalition Party (UCP) openly criticize the actions of the Social Democrats in their bill - Russia has once again become a bargaining chip in the domestic political struggle another state.
“In last year’s elections, the Social Democrats had a relatively small number, and they are supported by two parties that used to be part of the alliance, where there was a moderate coalition party, they now support the Social Democrats. Therefore, a moderate coalition party believes that it was abandoned; they, apparently, are attacking the Social Democrats. This, again, is a party struggle, and since the most profitable thing is to “peck Russia,” they took advantage of it, ”the expert noted.
Support the “independence” of Ukraine and Georgia
In addition to their desire to continue the policy of anti-Russian sanctions, the UCP also expressed their readiness to support countries such as Ukraine and Georgia, which suffer from "larger authoritarian states."
“A moderate coalition party sees in deepening regional cooperation in Sweden’s near abroad a powerful platform through which Sweden can create alliances with like-minded people, as well as support neighboring countries that need protection from imposed influence from larger authoritarian states; this can be expressed, among other things, in supporting the independence of countries such as Ukraine and Georgia, ”the bill says.
In general, as Alexei Volkov recalled, Sweden is now pursuing an anti-Russian policy, therefore, the kingdom authorities actively support both Kiev and Tbilisi, and new initiatives are only a continuation of the same policy. In particular, in November, the Swedish Foreign Ministry, together with the foreign affairs agencies of Ukraine, Estonia and Lithuania, issued a joint statement demanding Russia grant Ukraine access to the Sea of Azov.
According to Igor Shatrov, both Georgia and Ukraine, the need for support of which was announced in the Swedish parliament, fulfill the task of "irritating" Russia.
“Both Ukraine and Georgia have a specific task - they fulfill the task, on the one hand, of creating a buffer zone between the West and Russia, and on the other, the irritant of Russia. These countries do their best to practice Russophobia, they constantly make accusations against Russia, and for this the political establishment of these states receives some preferences and praise from the West, ”the expert concluded.
* A private institution in St. Petersburg for administrative support for the implementation of programs and projects of the Nordic Council of Ministers is included in the register of NPOs that perform the functions of a foreign agent by decision of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation of 01.20.2015.