Russian Democracy

23 Jul 2009

Russian freedom of speech is "shrinking alarmingly" says Amnesty International. The murders of outspoken journalists go unsolved, independent media outlets have been shut and police have attacked opposition protesters. Also , anyone that appears not to support the government has their life made very difficult - just like in China.

The director of Amnesty International UK, Kate Allen, said: "The space for freedom of speech is shrinking alarmingly in Russia and it's now imperative that the Russian authorities reverse this trend." She said dissent could be a matter of life or death in the case of outspoken journalists . At the local level , ruling party officials are behaving more and more in a way akin to their predecessors during the communist era - just like in China.

Gazprom , the Russian gas supplier, had already embarked on plans for pipelines that bypass Ukraine and Belarus, former Soviet states which are currently essential for transit. Gazprom has two major projects, Nord Stream and South Stream. These projects will bring cheap gas to Western Europe without the risk of disruption by naughty locals (Ukrainians , impoverished Uzbecks , repressed Turkmens etc). Gazprom has signed up big European partners: Italy's ENI for South Stream, and German companies E.ON Ruhrgas and Wintershall - along with Dutch provider Gasunie - for Nord Stream. The EU has major concerns about security of supply and is moving ahead with a pipeline plan of its own too. So Europe needs Gazprom, and that is why European companies and their governments have actively embraced Russia . EU officials say that even during the Cold War the Russian gas supply was stable, so it is better to rely on Gazprom than potentially unstable sources such as Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

In the 'old days' the evil empire was a thing to be scared of . Not anymore , because it keeps us warm and secure - just like China.

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