Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-10-26-Speech-5-014-000"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20121026.2.5-014-000"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
".
Madam President, Commissioner, 92.72727 % was the result celebrated by President Lukashenko’s associates in the most recent parliamentary elections. Otherwise, everything is following an all-too-familiar pattern: the election observers deliver their detailed verdict on the obviously-not-free-and-fair nature of the elections, we adopt our motion for a resolution and the Council imposes a few more sanctions or extends the existing ones. Beyond the Bug, the new parliament remains without an opposition and, therefore, exempt from criticism and correction, while those who want to see a different Belarus are still excluded, persecuted or locked up. The daily lives of Belarusians are still governed by the arbitrariness of politics and the greed of oligarchs.
In the description and assessment of this development, there is barely anything to choose between the political groups of this House. I also believe that nobody expected any other result or any changes to take place in Belarus. However, if that is true, then I must, at this point, reiterate the doubts I have already expressed on repeated occasions. Sanctions appear to be ineffective as a tool. They have not previously had any serious impact, either in Belarus or elsewhere.
Mr Füle has spoken again on the EU’s current activities as regards Belarus. We consider much of that to be worthwhile, such as the direct engagement with civil society under the European dialogue on modernisation. The problem with these activities, however, is that they fail to address Belarusians in their specific circumstances as consumers and workers. People want to discuss the job market, not industrial relations, co-determination rights or compliance with International Labour Organisation or environmental standards and so on. However, if these sessions are not used to tackle the issues of social justice faced on both sides of the Bug, then the foundations of the autocratic system undeniably still in place in Belarus will barely shake.
I would like to conclude with the following point: when we lived in a divided Europe, it was extremely important that, in spite of all the criticism levelled at those in power, a line of communication was kept open. Historically, we have shifted from sanctions to dialogue. It seems to me that, at present, we are moving in the opposite direction. In view of the obvious ineffectiveness of this policy, the question is: what do we do when we have exhausted all the options, when we have tightened the last thumbscrew? It is better to begin to confront the political leaders of Belarus with our arguments and demands in the context of political dialogue. That requires the EU Member States to cast aside their contradictory policy. The use of sanctions against repressive states does nothing to alter the repressive system of the State in question."@en1
|
| lpv:videoURI |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples