Ursula von der Leyen does not represent the European Union. That's what Josep Borrell said to Spanish radio after the visit of the President of the European Commission to Serbia. Some other former Union officials also took to social media and demanded that Von der Leyen step down from the position of president. While various EU bodies issue statements and adopt conclusions about the regime's theft of elections in Serbia, the suppression of media freedom and the collapse of democracy, Von der Leyen acknowledges Vučić and congratulates him on progress in all fields in Serbia, especially in the rule of law.
Her statement is grossly inconsistent with European values and policies, as well as with the adopted documents, and for that Von der Leyen should be sanctioned.
Well, it wasn't quite like that. It was already clear to the reader in the second sentence - it is practically unthinkable that Borrell would do anything to harm Vučić. At the very least, the two of them give the impression of close friends - that is, such friends that one is ready to turn a blind eye to the abominations the other commits, regardless of everything else.
But it is true that many European bodies issued statements and adopted conclusions about the desperately bad state of democracy (media freedom, freedom of choice, freedom of speech and assembly...) in Serbia. And it is true that despite all that Von der Leyen said what she said when she was recently in Belgrade and met with Vučić. Finally, it is also true that Borrell spoke about who can and who cannot represent the EU in a statement to Spanish radio.
Except he wasn't talking about Von der Leyen, but about Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán. It just so happens that Hungary is presiding over the EU Council for these six months. The Council of the EU together with the European Parliament is the most important body of the Union. As Prime Minister of Hungary, Orbán could currently be seen as one of the main figures in shaping EU policy. And as such, he went yesterday* to Georgia to congratulate the Georgian Dream party there on - as he says - a convincing election victory.
Somewhat longer than Orbán in Georgia are the so-called European observation missions. Their members write in their reports that the elections in Georgia were neither fair nor free. Until the recently concluded/stolen elections, the ruling Georgian Dream party did not exceed 40 percent in public opinion polls. She finished the election with 54 percent of the votes supposedly won.
Since last night*, tens of thousands of Georgians have taken to the streets of Tbilisi and are demanding new elections. The representatives of the opposition swear that they will not enter the Georgian parliament and that they will not negotiate with the Georgian Dream. The only acceptable solution for them is - new elections. In this situation, Orbán arrives in Georgia to congratulate his victory in the elections. Only, that's not all.
Georgian Dream is a pro-Russian party. It is pulling Georgia away from the European Union and pushing it into the lap of Russia. Demonstrators in the streets shout that they will not return to the USSR. And that he will not return to Russia. Practically as the chairman of the EU Council, Orbán came to clearly tell the protesters that they have nothing to ask for in the EU and that they will be much better off with Russia. Which is a possible attitude for a politician, but it is extremely unusual for the "chairman" of the Union to have it.
All in all, Georgia comes to him more or less the same as Serbia. And as far as freedoms are concerned, and as far as the attitudes of their current regimes are concerned, and as far as the EU's attitude towards them is concerned. Lying and mimicry. But here, let them be if they are not the same. That the EU's desire for everything to be fine in Georgia is sincere. Here's what's wrong again. One cannot slap statements about the Georgian dream and Orbán with it in Tbilisi, and pat Vučić on the shoulder with friendship and approval in Belgrade.
And yet, one cannot remain silent or look with approval on Von der Leyen's statements in Belgrade, and seek sanctions for Orbán because of his visit to Tbilisi. Or it can, because it doesn't matter. The credibility of the EU is collapsing before our eyes, before the eyes of the demonstrators in Belgrade and Tbilisi. I know, I'm naive, it turns out that I believed that the EU once had credibility. Well, let it be that she never had it. But it was a dream. Not Georgian, not even Serbian, but very European. Without him, we will only have Georgian, or Serbian - for that matter - (pro-Russian) dreams.
But, let's imagine now, they find lithium in Georgia. And Georgian Dream - as the party in power - agreed with people from the EU to mine that Georgian lithium for batteries for European cars. We saw on the example of Serbia that Russia has nothing against such agreements. On the contrary, it supports them and stands by the regimes that create them.
And Von der Leyen went to talk to the Georgian Dream about the European perspective of Georgia. And in the middle of Tbilisi, he praised that Georgian dream for the achieved level of democracy, media freedom and human rights. And then what are these tens of thousands of protesters doing, who have been on the streets of Tbilisi since last night, with their EU flags, which they wave as if they were flags of freedom and some dreamed future. I mean, what did we do with those rags?
* The text was published on October 29, 10.
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