Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-05-11-Speech-3-036"
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"en.20050511.4.3-036"2
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".
Ladies and gentlemen, I should like to thank the Commissioner for his introductory remarks. I should also like to say how much I welcome the political changes that have taken place in Kyrgyzstan, as they will also provide us with an opportunity to clarify our foreign policy goals.
At first glance, everything would appear to be quite straightforward. Elections held in Kyrgyzstan were rigged, following which the president was forced from power by popular protests, with Bishkek the next to be hit by the domino effect that had already seen the governments in Tbilisi and Kiev overthrown. Moscow backed an undemocratic president, and suffered defeat.
Yet at the same time, it is also becoming apparent that there was a strong social dimension to the revolution in Kyrgyzstan, which was very much an uprising against the rule of an oligarchy that had come into being during privatisation. This has in fact been a common phenomenon in all post-socialist countries, where groups have existed that were or are at the centre of political power, whether as a result of their past contacts, or their ethnic or party-political ties to those currently in power. The members of these groups made undreamt-of fortunes from privatisation, which not only caused major rifts in society, but also gave them the necessary means and the desire to enter into politics.
There are however further aspects of the uprising in Kyrgyzstan that distinguish it from others of its kind. This uprising took place in the country with the most liberal regime in Central Asia. The conclusion that any oligarchy would draw from this would be that the more restrictions are imposed on a society’s freedom, the greater the chances it has of remaining in power. Furthermore, the situation in Kyrgyzstan differs from that in Ukraine, for example, because Russophobia played no part in the Kyrgyz uprising.
In this connection, I should like to reiterate my call for us to ensure that EU policy reflects the fact that the European Union is an institution that upholds the ideals of the rule of law and social justice. We should therefore support those forces that wish to strengthen constitutional order and social justice, both in Kyrgyzstan and elsewhere."@en1
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