Mart Laar blog

On Friday the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly passed  a resolution that equates the Nazi regime with Soviet Stalinism. The resolution, titled “Reunification of divided Europe” and put forward by Lithuania and Slovenia, states that Europe has suffered from two totalitarian regimes: the Nazi and the Stalinist. Both brought about genocide and crimes against humanity. For a final and Europe-wide condemnation of totalitarianism, the OSCE resolution offered to set a Nazism/Stalinism remembrance day on August 23 . On 23. August 1939 Europe-dividing Molotov-Ribbentrop was signed by Germany and Soviet Union, dividing Europe between two dictators and paving way to the start of II World War. The resolution states so that both Stalin and Hitler were responsible for the start of this most devastating war. I can only agree to this point of view.

Even as the vote on resolution was nearly unanimous, the debates were very heated. “The USSR destroyed more people than Hitler. Russia occupied my country in 1921, and now President Medvedev has created a special commission to glorify criminals,” Georgian MP Georgy Kandelaki said during the discussion. Greek Communist MP Kostas Alissandrakis noted that the resolution is “not aimed against Stalin, who is long dead, but against Communism in general, and in the times of a crisis, when workers’ discontent is on the rise”. The head of Russia’s delegation to the OSCE, Aleksandr Kozlovsky, called the resolution an “insulting anti-Russian attack”.“Those, who put Stalinism on the same scale as Nazism are forgetting that the Soviet Union suffered the most casualties and made the biggest contribution to Europe’s liberation from Nazism,” Kozlovsky said. Russia’s delegation tried desperately to block the resolution, when they failed, the delegation just walked out before the voting.

The European Parliament adopted on 2. April a Resolution on European conscience and totalitarianism which. The Resolution, which was originally initiated by EPP-ED Members Jana Hybáškova (Czech Republic), Tunne Kelam (Estonia  ) and József Szájer (Hungary ), is an historical breakthrough. Following the plenary debate on 25 March 2009, the adoption of this Resolution is the first formal and full acknowledgement of the evils of communism by the European Parliament. The Chairman of the EPP-ED Group in the European Parliament, Joseph Daul MEP, recalled: “2009 is a deeply symbolic year, since we celebrate both the 60th anniversary of the creation of NATO and the beginnings of the cold war, and the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, which ended it. This is why we have proposed to launch a Europe-wide day of remembrance which will help Europe reconcile its totalitarian legacy, both from the Nazis and the Communists. I am disappointed though that the Socialists, because of the un-reconstructed Left, seem to be opposed to such a declaration. If we do not understand our past, we run the risk of repeating it in the future”, said Joseph Daul. “Europe will not be united if it will not learn about and from the crimes against humanity and horrors of the past, and if it doesn’t recognise the common history. These horrors have to be studied and acknowledged. This is why we ask the Council and the Commission to mark August 23, the anniversary of the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact, as a European Day of Remembrance of the victims of Nazism and Communism and to contribute financially and politically to the establishment of a Platform of European Memory and Conscience”, declared Jana Hybášková MEP, one of initiators of the Prague Declaration on European Conscience and communism. József Szájer MEP emphasised that there are two standards in this question: human dignity and unquestionable respect of life based on the Christian tradition and universal human rights which originated at the time of the Enlightenment. József Szájer MEP condemned the practice of estimating which inhuman dictatorships killed, or humiliated more people. Estonian MEP Tunne Kelam, one of the authors of the Resolution, concluded that in parallel to economic and political enlargement, Europe needs enlargement of its consciousness of the terrible crimes that were committed by totalitarian regimes of the 20th century. Our ultimate goal is reconciliation which can be achieved by admitting responsibility, asking for forgiveness and fostering moral renewal, Kelam concluded. Kelam was especially satisfied that the EPP-ED Group showed genuine European solidarity. “It is important and symbolic that among the co-initiators of this Resolution there were not only MEPs from Eastern Europe, but also German, British, Swedish Members of the EPP-ED Group Presidency, two EP Vice-Presidents from Spain and Italy and also MEPs from France and Germany “, Kelam said. “The European Union was forged out of the horrors of the Second World War and is the most successful reconciliation project in history. We are now a Union of twenty-seven Member States and in order for this project to continue being a success; we have to understand each other’s pasts. I am very glad that the Czech Presidency, both in this case and in other initiatives, such as its international conference in June on Holocaust era assets, has shown a willingness to confront the darkest chapters of our common history”, concluded Joseph Daul MEP.

By the information distributed by independent Chechen media in internet the Sulim Yamadaev (former commander of Battalion “Vostok”) was killed on Sunday in Dubai. Few Russians were captured by the police in Dubai. Cameras got them on tape while they were shooting Sulim. As Security Forces of UAE says, Russians that were captured, are Russian FSB agents. Yamadaev was soon some time under investigation and wanted by Chechenia’s current leader Kadyrov. Battalion “Vostok” participated under leaderhip of Yamadaev in August war against Georgia. Chechen figthers helped Russia there a lot. They were first Russian unit entering Tsinkvali and participating there in street fights and on 11.08 they saved large Russian column from full disaster when they were ambushed by Georgians. When the information is true, then it proves once again, what happens with them, who fight on the side of Moscow  in their wars against other Caucasus nations.

At the opening of this week’s Strasbourg plenary session, European Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering made a declaration on the 60th anniversary of the deportation of thousands of citizens of the Baltic states to Siberia by the Soviet regime. He told the House “This week we commemorate the 60th anniversary of the deportation of some 100 thousand Baltic States citizens. This enormous wave of Soviet deportation started during the night of 24 to 25th March 1949 and resulted in tens of thousands of Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians being forcefully moved from their home, deprived of their civil and human rights and often losing their lives due to harsh and inhumane conditions in the Soviet prison camps. Nearly every family in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, as well as in other former Soviet Union republics, was affected by the cruel force of the totalitarian communist regime. In nearly every family you will find traces of people who perished in Siberia, who were persecuted by the KGB or imprisoned and harassed by the totalitarian regime. This is not a distant and obscure past; it is still very much a living memory in the minds of many people who are citizens of the European Union. Therefore, it is our moral obligation and a fundamental duty as Europeans, rooted in our common values, in honouring the memory of those many victims, to reiterate our strong and clear condemnation of those horrific crimes committed by the totalitarian communist regime in the Soviet Union. Moreover, the victims deserve nothing less than an objective, in-depth and thorough evaluation of the past, because there cannot be reconciliation without truth and remembrance.”

Declaration condemning these crimes will be presented to the Parliament tomorrow. This is important achievement as European Socialdemocrats tried till the last minute to get it out from agenda. Hearings on the crimes of communist last week in Brussels nevertheless had strong impact on Parliament and helped the case happily forward. Czech Presidency and President Havel played important role supporting the condemnation of communism. Looking on year 1968 they know what the communism is.

It is symbolic, that this declaration will be discussed on the day, when 60 years tens of thousands  Baltic people were deported to Siberia.  Today Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu) passed its declaration, condemning communist crimes and remebering victims of communism.

Some month before the Russian invasion against Georgia in August 2008 Russian journalist Pavel Felgenhauer warned the World on coming Russian attack against Georgia. He was not believed, not in West and not in Tbilisi. Now Felgenhauer is warning us again. By the Bakillar.az newssite Felgenhauer is describing the plan moving around in Kreml to “finish the job” and remove Skahashvili from power. Failure to do this during the August-war has made Russia furiuos. Russia has not won sympathy in the World, he is still alone in its recognition of South-Ossetia’s and Abhkazia’s “Independence” and its authority is weakening in the region as Shakashvili is still there. Situation in occupied territories is deteriorating also. When Georgia has build houses for big part of refugees, then in South-Ossetia nothing is done. Kreml also needs “small and victorius” war to turn people’s attention away from worsening economic situation and to bolster its power. By Felgenhauer new campaigne starts from provocation against Russian peacekeepers where Georgia is accused. Kreml is then launching surprise attack against Tbilisi from two side – Tsinhvali and Akhalgori, opening the third front in West, attacking there Poti and Sukhumi from Abkhazia. Vaziani and Tbilisi airports are taken. Georgia is blocked from Sea and then Tbilisi will be conquered and Shakashvili would be removed from power, to be replaced by some kind of ”Salvation Commmitte”. Such of scenario can look unbelievible, but so was it before the August war. Only way to make it not happen is to be NOW – and not AFTERWARDS – very clear in this question with Kreml – make no war. When Kreml gets from West distorted  signals, he thinks, that the new war would may-be not be so bad idea.

An international conference concerning the crimes of communism was held in Budapest on the 6-8 of March. The conference was organized by the The European Foundation for the Disclosure and Investigation of Communist Crimes. Institutions, embassies and organizations from Europe, USA and Canada were invited.  In the conference delegates discussed the situation in the World in context of condemnation of communists crimes. It was stated that in the World knowledge of communist crimes is still very low. It is unimagible to wear Adolf Hitler T-shirt, but  Che Guevara, Mao or Lenin T-shirts are in public sell around the World. When nazi crimes are rightfully condemned, the same has not happened with communist crimes. The question is not only in Stalinist crimes, communism has killed more as 100 million people around the World – and the list is growing. Communism has from the beginning been evil idea, who’s answer to the World problems was violence and terror. When we could not deal with past, we must relive it. Condemnation of communist crimes is only way to avoid, that some people get again idea to kill other people, because they belong to “wrong” political or social group. They know, that killing other people for racial or religious grounds is not welcomed, but till communism exists killing people for political or social reasons looks for some people not so bad idea.  

Among other initiatives a joint letter was sent by the delegates to the Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt and Foreign Minister Carl Bildt concerning the Swedish EU Presidency and the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the liberation of from Communism, the democratization of the Baltic states, Eastern and Central Europe, and the peaceful reunification of the continent. European Parliament has declared 23.August remebrance day of victims of communism and nazism. On 23.august 1939 nazi Germany and communist Russia signed so called Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, dividing the World and launching the II World War. Week later, on 01.September 1939 Hitler attacked Poland from one side, on 17.september Stalin from other side. As a result of pact nations of Central and Eastern Europe lost millions of their citizens to nazi and Soviet terror, liberating themselves from totalitarianism only after fall of communism.   

The letter was signed by delegates from the United States, Canada, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Sweden, the Ukraine, Austria and England.

I was just mentioned by some friends that I have during last time totally forgot my English blog. Unfortunately this is true – and not good. So I try to do my best to change the situation. Main reason for the silence has been very busy times connected with preparation of Estonian negative suplementary budget, which was passed in Estonia at the end of February. Estonia decided to cut its budget by 10% not waiting time, when the cuts are made by IMF. Estonian goal os to prepare itself to eurozone, which can become possible in next year – when Estonia ofcourse can keep its budget under Maastricht criteria. Estonia is not asking any special conditions or privileges, we know that without good homework we can not become members of eurozone.  So our future lies largely in our own hands.

It is said that the only thing that people learn from history is that people learn nothing from history. Looking at how the world is handling the current economic crisis, this aphorism appears sadly true.
World leaders have forgotten how the collapse of Wall Street in 1929 developed into a world-wide depression. It happened not thanks to market failures but as a result of mistakes made by governments which tried to protect their national economies and markets. The market was not allowed to make its corrections. Government interventions only prolonged the crisis.
We may hope that, even as we see several bad signs of neo-interventionist attitude, all the mistakes of the 1930s will not be repeated. But it is clear that the tide has turned again. Capitalism has been declared dead, Marx is honored, and the invisible hand of the market is blamed for all failures.
This is not fair. Actually it is not markets that have failed but governments, which did not fulfill their role of the “visible hand” — creating and guaranteeing market rules. Weak regulation of the banking sector and extensive lending, encouraged by governments, are examples of this failure.
At the same time, it is clear that the invisible hand still points the way out of crises. It is easy to see when we look at how the postcommunist transition countries are tackling the economic crisis. After the collapse of communism, Central and Eastern Europe and the Baltic countries launched several radical reforms and achieved remarkable economic growth. Some of these countries have trusted the invisible hand more, others less. As a result, not only have the results of reforms been different, but the impact of economic crises as well.
During the 1990s, the most radical and successful reforms came from the three Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Open markets, economic liberalization, fast privatization, stable currencies, flat tax rates — all of these became the trademark of the “Baltic Tigers.” Early in the new millennium, the Baltic countries started to enjoy the fruits of their reforms. Economic growth reached 11% to 12% per year. Living standards rose to 60% to 70% of the European average from 15% to 20% in 1992.
Yet times of rapid growth are unfortunately not always times of good decisions. Governments thought they could afford a Western-style welfare state because the economy was doing so well. Conservative financial policy was weakened, lending was encouraged, chances to join the euro zone were missed, and social expenditures rose beyond the economy’s ability to bear them.
Combine these mistakes with corruption, weak government and loose control of the banking sector, and the results can be very difficult — as in Latvia, which had to take out a loan from the IMF. Countries with a more effective visible hand, such as Lithuania and Estonia, are doing much better. Estonia is cutting nearly 10% of its government budget, relying more on the market than on state intervention, and hoping to keep its finances under control so that it can join the euro zone by 2011.
The situation is even better in some parts of Central and Eastern Europe. While the European Commission last month projected the euro-zone economy to contract by 1.9% this year, most new member states’ economies are forecast to grow. The most positive developments are in countries that have learned from the Baltic experience and introduced radical economic reforms. They have even learned from the mistakes of the Baltic States — and not tried to become too rich too fast. The “best” reformer in Central and Eastern Europe, Slovakia, introduced a flat 19% universal tax rate and launched other reforms, allowing Slovakia to join the euro zone last month. The Commission predicts that Slovakia will have the highest economic growth rate in Europe this year, at 2.7%. At the same time Hungary, which has been very cautious on reforms, has been hit harder by the crisis than the more radical reformers, and like Latvia is now dependent on the IMF.
The same experience is seen in former Soviet republics. Russia has been slow in its economic reforms and built up an authoritarian state; it was hit especially badly by the economic crisis. Russia’s aggression against Georgia last August and its gas war with Ukraine this January have made the crisis only worse for the Russian people. The trust of foreign investors is gone, and capital is quickly escaping Russia.
Georgia, on the other hand, has followed a very different policy. It has fought against corruption, is building up stronger democratic institutions, and has supported a good business climate, which the World Bank ranks 18th in the world. Making the visible hand more effective has allowed Georgia to trust the invisible hand of the market. This in turn has helped Georgia — against all odds — overcome the results of Russian aggression with surprising ease so far. Like the rest of the world, Georgia was hit by the recession. But the response of its government was not to increase taxes, but to cut them and continue with reforms. Georgia’s response to the crisis has, according to the IMF’s latest report, been more successful than anybody hoped.
So as we see, freedom still works. Moving the world away from free choice and restoring the power of Big Brother is not the right answer to our current problems.

Europe is really having very short memory. After the Russian aggression against Georgia on 8.august 2008 European leaders stand up and promised to make to Russia absolutely clear, that such of behavior could not be tolerated in Europe. To demonstrate that they are serious with this message, Europe decided to cancel – or postpone as it was officially said – the negotiations with Moscow on a new “Partnership and Cooperation Agreement”. Europe insisted that Russia must obey a six-point ceasefire deal, which ended the Georgia war on Aug 12, before any talks on the partnership agreement can start again. The restart of negotiations depended on Russian compliance with those commitments that it made in August.
 

Unfortunately the Russia has not done this. It has actually broken most of points of the ceasefire deal by failing by example to withdraw its forces to their pre-war positions. Russian troops have left most of the so called buffer-zone, but is still occupying parts of territories controlled by Georgia till the start of the military conflict. European observers are not having access to the territories of South-Ossetia and Abkhazia, as a result of this the provocations, bombings and conflicts are continuing in the border area. Russia is having significantly more troops on the territory as before the conflict.
 

Some European leaders have nevertheless decided to close their eyes to all this. They say that Russia is doing everything it´s supposed to do, so it is time to restart the negotiations.  This would amount to a return to “business as usual” and sends a signal that Russia had escaped any lasting diplomatic penalty for invading Georgia. Such of decision would show Russia that aggression pays off, that Europe is incapable of holding a firm line against aggression and that Russia’s neighbors cannot rely on the EU to protect them from Russian bullying. Even as Moscow has declared that it is actually “not so interested” on these negotiations, the restart of the talks would be an important symbol.  Russia would claim a victory if they started, getting signal: “We did it!”
 

This is very bad message not only for Europe but for Russia itself. The war with Georgia has been for Russia both geopolitically and economically very costly. Economist Andrey Illarionov, a former adviser to Vladimir Putin and now an outspoken critic of the Russian authorities, has described the conflict with Georgia as a “geopolitical catastrophe for Russia” since it destroyed the delicate geopolitical balance that Russia established in the South Caucasus over two centuries in alliance with Georgia. It turned Russia also to the conflict with CIS members and Asian countries. Collapse of the Russian stocks after the invasion was dramatic, helping Russia to become “worst performer” during world-wide economic crises. “Victory” over small Georgia has helped Putin to bolster support to its totalitarian policies inside of Russia. When West now accepts such behavior and returns to “business as usual” the democratic forces, protesting against the invasion, would get another hit. These are reasons why Poland, Baltic and most of Nordic countries with Great Britain have opposed the proposal to restart negotiations with Russia. How long they can resist the pressure of “old Europe” will be seen. In this moment it is nevertheless necessary to look back to the history, which teach us that appeasement of aggressor never pays off.   

This what is happening now in Georgia is not anymore military conflikt between Georgian armed forces and separatists, supported by Russia – this is full-scale Russian agression against Georgia. Russia’s 58 Army has invaded Georgia with tanks, heavy artillery and with planes. Not only Georgian units in conflict zone are bombed, but Russian aircrafts are bombing targets around Georgia. Just now I was called from Georgia, that Russian planes have bombed Poti harbour and Kodori valley, which means that Russia tries to widen conflict to Abhkazia. And all this is happening during the “Olympic peace”. And the world is silent… .