L’Europe devrait s’unir contre la Russie

L’UE devrait revoir sa manière de percevoir les politiques économiques extérieures russes. C’est ce qu’avance Maria Ordzhonikidze, secrétaire générale de l’EU-Russia Centre, dans une analyse de janvier. 

Historically, Russia’s gas monopoly has always been in « perpetual conflict with [European] transit countries for its commodities, » the author states. However, she laments that the EU seems yet again « to have been unprepared for what was a predictable sequel to an old conflict ». 

Ordzhonikidze claims the Russian elite « retain a vision of their country as a dominant regional superpower and counter European values with what they call Russian distinctiveness ». As a result, Russia finds it « logical to utilise economic advantages as political leverage ». The current EU-Russia relationship is « now seen as a softer version of the military face-off of the nineties, » she adds. 

« The present Russian leaders have both an enthusiasm and a propensity to politicise every issue at their first touch, » Ordzhonikidze declares. 

The EU thus has to « find a way to deal not with the objective facts of the situation, but with economic pressure used as a political instrument by Moscow when it believes it has the potential to convert trade into political advantage, » the analyst argues. 

Indeed, « what seems to be commercial wrestling has turned out to be a geopolitical ‘Big Game’, » she claims. 

Furthermore, « Europe could create its own political leverage to protect against Moscow’s gas truncheon in the future, » Ordzhonikidze argues. « Europe has never talked to Russia with one firm voice, » but « if it were to do so it could have a staggering effect, » she believes. 

The analyst deems Czech President Vaclav Klaus, whose country currently holds the EU presidency, to be « ready for this task, » describing him as a « politician who does not shy away from telling what he believes to be politically inconvenient truths ». Moreover, « Czech traditions of pragmatism and imperturbable common sense could help design an effective energy policy without excessive hype, arrogance or anti-Russian sentiment, » Ordzhonikidze argues. 

Nevertheless, « Prague will need help from Europe’s larger players » for this to happen, she admits. 

« It is time [for the EU] to unite around a policy designed to match Moscow’s realpolitik with [its] own if [it is] to succeed in securing Europe’s energy needs for the future, » the paper concludes.