European Dialogue

Conference Report The Putin System and the Kremlin’s influence in Europe / Berlin, March 13 Written by Nikolaus von Twickel, edited by Ralf Fuecks

How does Putin’s system function in Russia, how does it influence Europe and what can Europe do about it? The theme of the Center for Liberal Modernity’s first major conference last Tuesday in Berlin was not chosen by accident: The Center was set up in November as a think tank directed against growing populist and anti-liberal tendencies in Europe, a trend that many have linked to Russia, where President Vladimir Putin was re-elected for a fourth term on Sunday.

The conference’s aim was to understand the political and economic aspects of the Putin System and to raise awareness about the real nature of the regime. Another aim was to discuss realistic policy options for the West: “There is this timid, undecided feeling in western capitals – they do not look because they are afraid of what they might see” – the Center’s co-founder Marieluise Beck said in her opening remarks. Ralf Fuecks, its director, explained that the Center would deal with antiliberal challenges from within and outside. Russia is no longer an external power but an effective political actor inside Europe.  (more…)

1. Project name: «European Russia»
2. Project start date: December 2016

Project end date: November 2017

3. Goals:

- to conduct a complex research and a series of international in-depth expert discussions on Russia’s place within the European (Western) civilization as a response to the report by F. Lukyanov and A. Miller, “Detachment Instead of Confrontation: Post-European Russia in Search of Self-Sufficiency”, (it will not only permit to set forth counterarguments, but will also permit to fill the gaps of the original report on economics and the role of public opinion);

- to continue and expand the recently started public discussion on Russia’s civilizational choice among Russian intellectuals and in the society as a whole (counterpropaganda);

- to form a core group within the “European Dialogue” Expert Group that will promote the European agenda and values in later projects.

4. Preliminary schedule of activities:

February 2017, Moscow – a keynote session with Russian experts (15-20 people):

forming  the core team  (4-5 people), specifying the name, goals and objectives of the project, the timing and format of planned events, as well as the contents, methodology and structure of the final report (40-60 pages in length).

February-March 2017, Moscow – holding two round tables involving 15 to 20 Russian experts and 3 to 4 foreign experts; conducting a survey of the public sentiment in the Russian society in cooperation with Y. Levada Analytical Center.

April 2017 – finalizing the draft of the final report, distributing the report to the parties concerned.

May 2017, Europe – holding an international conference featuring Russian and European experts; finalizing the report based on the feedback from the discussion.

June-September 2017, Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Brussels, London, Berlin – presenting the final report to the public.

October-November 2017, Moscow or Berlin – public debates (“duel”) with the Lukyanov-Miller group; translating the report into German and English, publication and distribution of the report.

5. Host organizations: “European Dialogue” Expert Group, a European partner.
6. Participants: leading Russian and European experts in history, economics, sociology, law, and social sciences.
7. Program Director: Nikolay Petrov – member of the Coordinating Board, “European Dialogue” Expert Group, Head of the Center of Political and Geographic Research, Professor at the National Research University “Higher School of Economics”.

1. Working title: Liberal Agenda for the 21st Century
2. Start of the project: January 2017

End of the project:  December 2017

3. Goals:

- formulation of a new solution to existing political challenges that would incorporate the liberal values framework of individual freedom and responsibility;

- search for answers, how liberals and the society could restore trust and mutual understanding in the face of contemporary global challenges.

4. Preliminary action plan:

- January 2017, Moscow – orientation workshop, definition of the core team (4-5 persons), dates and formats of the upcoming events, technical task and methodology of the research, structure and content of the final report;

- February-April 2017, Moscow – 2-3 round tables with the participation of 15-20 Russian experts and 3-4 foreign experts;

- May-July 2017 – draft report elaboration, review and comments by interested parties involved in the project;

- September 2017, Moscow– presentation and discussion of the final report in the framework of the international conference “New answers to the challenges of non-freedom”.

- November 2017 – presentation of the final report in Brussels

5. Organizers: “European Dialogue” Expert Group, Friedrich Naumann Foundation
6. Participants: leading Russian and foreign experts in political sciences, sociology, economics, history and culture.
7. Program director: Vladimir Ryzhkov +

18.01.2017, Vienna. Prof. Dr. Evgeny GONTMAKHER, member of the Moscow-based “European Dialogue” Expert Group, spoke about the Russian Crisis and the reforms the Russian Federation would need in order to be sustainable in the long run.
Fr. Federal Chancellor Dr. Wolfgang SCHÜSSEL, President of UNA-AUSTRIA, moderated the event.

The conflict between Russia and the West originates from the weakness of Russia but it is its future that will largely define the power and resilience of the trans-Atlantic community. Poland is the largest NATO/EU member that borders on Russia. Moreover, it borders on Ukraine, a country that is effectively in war with Moscow. Relations with Russia is one of the major 'big games' in Europe played by Poland as they broadly affect security and prosperity in the region. If Poland wants to be played with and not by others it is critical that it takes an active part in the conflict management and resolution process.

(more…)

The "European Dialogue" and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung have begun the implementation of the project "Right and left populism in Russia and in the world: challenges and options of response" aimed for 2017.

Experts from Russia, Germany, USA and Spain took part in the introductory expert session and round table held recently in the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Moscow regional office. Based on current political realities, they have started analyzing current transformation process of the political landscape in the European countries, growth of the influence of the right and left populism – in general and specifically for different countries, identifying essential mechanisms of these processes, challenges caused by them to traditional systematic political movements, that are related to different parts of political spectrum.

The Program provides for a series of joint researches and activities in Russia and Europe, that will result in the publication of international analytical report in autumn 2017

Coordinating Board of the “European Dialogue” Expert group has approved indicative working program for 2017,

the program aimed at thorough and constructive international expert discussion of the complete set of the problems of transitional societies, new tendencies in the democracy development, of strengthening of the role of the civil society and forming of the global civicism, evolution of society and the human in the coming “forth industrial revolution”, perspectives of a new social policy, new architecture of global and European security.

The Program provides for a close collaboration between Russian expert society and foreign colleagues from the European countries, USA, China, India and other countries, competent international organizations.

Julius Freitag-Loringhoven, our "special correspondent" in Brussels broadcasting live from Boris Nemtsov Forum: "Great discussion in the European Parliament as second part of Boris Nemtsov Forum with Zhanna Nemtsova, Irina Prokhorova, Лев Шлосберг and very clear opening remarks of Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger who highlighted that EU policy regarding Russia should be driven by the Helsinki principles of 1) solid security and parallel trustbuilding measures 2) cooperation where possible, namely in economic and scientific areas and 3) make all also dependent on the humanitarian dimension dealing with human rights and civil society".

12.11.2016, NYC. Tatiana Parkhalina, the President of Association for Euro-Atlantic Integration, the member of the “European Dialogue” Coordinating Board, made a report “Russia and the West in the context of the Ukrainian crisis” at the Russian-US conference organized by the Harriman Institute at Columbia University with collaboration of MGIMO and IMEMO.

National policies and international systems, institutional and economic aspects of Eurasia development, international security and disarmament – these were the key topics for bilateral expert discussion and analysis.

At the end of this trip to the States Tatiana Parkhalina attended the UN General Assembly session devoted to the UN Security Council reform.

October 7-9, 2016, Berlin. Members of the “European Dialogue” participated in the “Civil Society for conflict resolution in Donbass”, the International working forum that was held in Berlin to launch an international civil society coalition for resolving military conflict in Eastern Ukraine. The representatives of civil society institutions from Germany, Poland, Ukraine and Russia agreed on issuing in the nearest days a joint resolution appealing to the OSCE Council of Ministers meeting to take additional efforts for stopping the conflict in the Eastern Ukraine. The "European Dialogue" experts following the developments in that part of Europe were on board.