"Smart borders package": A better management of EU external borders

Press Release, the ALDE Group, European Parliament, February 28, 2013

Today the Commission presented its "Smart borders" package. ALDE welcomes this legislative initiative as it will simplify the life of "bona fide" foreigners frequently travelling to the EU, whose number is expected to increase in the future.

ALDE spokesperson of the dossier Nils Torvalds (Swedish Peoples Party, Finland): "It is in the interest of the EU to make it as easy as possible for tourists, business travellers and students to come to Europe. At the same time an easier access to the EU should go hand in hand with preventing irregular migration. The "smart borders" initiative should also help Member states better control their external borders, an important issue for some of them which have to manage a very long portion of the EU external borders"...

Grigory Yavlinsky on the impact of the political system on economic growth

Press Release, February 27, 2013

A roundtable "Democracy and Economic Growth" held within the framework of the second Russian Economic Congress in Suzdal discussed how the type of a political system may affect economic growth.

Grigory Yavlinsky, Professor at the Higher School of Economics and founder of the YABLOKO party, set the tone of the discussion. He noted that economic growth has been considered a key indicator of economic development. However, he stressed that there has been no direct correlation between the economic growth and the type of the political system. Economics can not yet answer the question why the most developed democratic countries do not show sustainable economic growth while some authoritarian states may demonstrate impressive economic growth rates...

Proved: it is a lie!

Press Release, February 25, 2013

The Democratic Petersburg coalition YABLOKO is member of conducted a raid proving that St.Petersburg authorities did not allow the Democratic Petersburg to conduct rallies in the city on fictitious grounds. The city authorities turned down 20 sites as possible grounds for the coalition rally. "We have collected evidence of the officials’ lies and will file a law suit against them," said the coalition members.

This Sunday, the coalition planned to hold a rally against the federal law on the "gay propaganda". The application was submitted to the authorities four times proposing 20 different locations. However, all the applications were turned down. The organizers were ready to hold a rally at any time from 12:00 to 18:00, but the officials said that all proposed sites were taken by other activities at that time or some renovation works or repairs were conducted there. Each time the rally fell under some ban...

Mitrokhin on the attempted murder on Cossack chieftain Nesterenko: shooting of those fighting against criminal authorities has begun in the Krasnodar Territory

Press Release, February 22, 2013

YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin believes that the attempted murder on Nikolai Nesterenko, Deputy Ataman of the Anapa City Cossack Community, demonstrates a qualitatively new stage of confrontation between public activists and criminal authorities of the Krasnodar Territory.

Attempted murder on Nikolai Nesterenko was committed in Anapa on February 22. A killer opened fire on the car of the Cossack. Nesterenko was wounded and his driver Viktor Zhuk was killed. Nikolay Nesterenko is one of the leaders of the civil society in Anapa. For many years he has been fighting against unlawfulness, violation of citizens’ rights and abuse of power by businessmen and officials in the city.

"Earlier they have exerted pressure on public activists in different forms, including their unlawful conviction on trumped up criminal cases, but now we can say that, that they begin shooting the most active public figures who do not let them to do lawlessness," said YABLOKO’s leader...

On the support of the initiative group in creation of a free trade union of university teachers in Russia

Statement by YABLOKO's Bureau, February 21, 2013

New laws adopted in the field of education endanger the future of Russia and arouse fair concerns not only from the civil society but also for the professionals working in this sector.

Many teachers decided to actively participate in the public debate and started looking for other forms of communication of their position to the society. One of such forms is creation of a free trade union of university teachers which was initiated by a group of high school professors and teachers. Unfortunately, the voice of this "official" trade union was virtually unheard in discussion of the [government’s] bills, and a broad attack on the rights of workers of the education sector undertaken by the government, has not got due assessment on behalf of the trade union.

The Bureau of the Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO supports the initiative of creation of the Free Trade Union of Russian University Teachers and believes that position of the professional community should form a basis for a dialogue between the government and society...

Women's Spring 2013: Start of Preparation for the 3rd All-Russian Women’s Congress

Press Release, February 20, 2013

The Independent Press Center invites journalists on February 28 at 12:00 to the press conference "Women's Spring 2013: Start of Preparation for the 3rd All-Russian Women’s Congress".

The participants of the conference are as follows: Dr. Galina Mikhalyova, Chair of YABLOKO’s Gender Faction and Secretary of YABLOKO’s Political Committee; Natalia Dmitryeva, Co-Chair and Coordinator of the Council for Consolidation of Women's Movement in Russia, Chair of the All-Russian Public Organization "Business Women of Russia"; Natalia Velikaya, Chair of the Social Democratic Union of Russian Women, Dean of the Political Sociology Faculty of the Russian State Humanities University (RGGU);Irina Gorkova, Adviser to the Moscow Region Governor; Irina Rukina, leader of the political party "People Against Corruption," Dean of the Faculty of Large Cities Management of the International University, Moscow...

The Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO - information updated.

After YABLOKO’s rally acting Governor of the Moscow Region sent the General Plan of Balashikha Development back for revision

Press Release, February 21, 2013

Andrei Vorobyov, acting Moscow Region Governor, agreed with the demands put forward during YABLOKO’s manifestation and rally and sent the General Paln of the Balashikha City Development for revision.

He made such a statement at his meeting with residents of the city. The manifestation and rally organized by the YABLOKO party were in the city in the past weekend. Participants of the rally marched in the centre of the city. "The new General Plan is a shame of Balashikha" was written on the banner carried in front of the column.

"The Plan aroused outrage of the city residents by its absolute negligence of the needs of citizens and its cynical approach to the urban policy," Vladimir Konnov, the leader of the Balashikha branch of YABLOKO said at the rally...

U.S. Is Russia's Best Friend. By Grigory Yavlinsky.

The Moscow Times, February 19, 2013. Vedomosti, January 28, 2013.

U.S. President Barack Obama took his second oath of office on Jan. 20. The following Sunday, also in Washington, Metropolitan Tikhon was enthroned as the primate of the Orthodox Church in America.
A second major phenomenon largely overlooked by the media is that 1 million Orthodox Americans affirm the importance of upholding their faith in that multicultural "melting pot" — even though most speak English and were not raised according to traditional Russian customs. Although many American Orthodox believers are not Russians or Europeans, and some are not even direct descendents of Russian and European immigrants, they often had an even stronger personal connection to the Russian emigres and anti-Bolsheviks of the 18th and 19th centuries and responded more passionately when the Russian Orthodox Church was driven partly underground...

European Liberal Democrats welcome Borissov resignation

Press Release, the ALDE party, February 20, 2013

Reacting to the resignation this morning of Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and his government, ALDE Party President Sir Graham Watson said: “European Liberal Democrats welcome today’s announcement. We have become increasingly concerned about freedom and the rule of law under Prime Minister Boyko Borissov since he took office in 2009.”

“Together with the likes of Berlusconi and Basescu – Europe’s B team – Borissov has played fast and loose with the rule of law. I hope this B team will not be revived in elections this year”...

2014 European Parliament seat distribution

Press Release, ALDE, February 19, 2012

The vote of the Constitutional Affairs Committee of the European Parliament supported efforts by ALDE MEPs aimed at correcting the worst anomaly in the original proposal of the two rapporteurs (Trzaskowski-Gualtieri) on the apportionment of seats at the next elections in 2014. The Liberals and Democrats argued that to have a two seat gap between Hungary and Sweden on the basis of a difference of population of 475,000 was unjust.
Andrew Duff's proposal that at the next constitutional Convention, likely in 2015, the EU should agree on a fair, durable and transparent arithmetical formula for the distribution of seats was also accepted...

Half of YABLOKO’s candidates for the Moscow City Duma elections will be determined by Muscovites in primaries

Press Release, February 17, 2013

The Conference of the Moscow branch of YABLOKO adopted a Manifesto on compiling of a list candidates for the Moscow City Duma elections (which are to take place in 2014) from united democratic opposition. According to the Manifesto, half of the candidates in the party list will be given to civil activists and representatives from other political forces. Muscovites will determine the nominees in the primaries.

"Moscow has accumulated a critical mass of active people, they awoke from the “sleep’ during Putin's 2000s, and they want to act. They do realise that their children will not have any normal human prospects in this country without changing of the political situation in the country, that is why they want to go into politics. We give them such an opportunity," YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin stated at the Conference.

"A year ago we promised at the rallies that we would propose a definite political mechanism to address different problems. The adopted Manifesto is a direct and earnest answer to all the questions: what people who manifested at Bolotnaya Square and Sakharov Prospect and participated in other mass opposition rallies should do now," said Grigory Yavlinsky, YABLOKO founder and member of the Political Committee. "The time of general discussions is over. It's time to act," he stressed...

Alexei Melnikov: Jingle Bells of the Death Penalty

Alexei Melnikov’s blog in the Live Journal, February 11, 2013

Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev has said today that he supports the death penalty for people who have committed serious crimes, "I fear to bring down the anger of the opponents of the death penalty on myself, but speaking as an ordinary citizen, rather than a minister, I would see nothing wrong [in the death penalty] for such kind of criminals".

It is no good when the high post prevents the expression of civic feelings. After such a statement by Mr. Kolokoltsev, he should have been immediately dismissed. Let him speak out as a citizen not burdened with the weight of public duties. In any case, the dismissal of Mr. Kolokoltsev would have been an adequate measure for the authorities who believe that the purpose of the government is installing of humanity.

Our ruling system suffers from a serious hereditary contempt for human life. Here the concept of a "violent crime", and any crime in general, is like rubber. And just like civil activities in case of a police state are easily transferred into crimes, this notion [of a violent crime] can be transferred into a grave offense. For example, "foreign agents" [which all the NGOs were pushed to turn into according the new Russian law] may be considered traitors and liberal views equated with an ideology targeted at destruction of the state. And the punishment here will be execution...

YABLOKO to call for nomination of candidates from a united democratic opposition for the Moscow City Duma elections

Press Release, February 14, 2013

On Sunday, February 17, the Conference of the Moscow branch of the YABLOKO party will adopt a Manifest on the creation of nomination of a joint list of candidates from united democratic opposition for the Moscow City Duma elections of 2014.
The Manifesto will appeal to civil society activists and representatives of political forces sharing democratic values to participate in the formation of a joint list of candidates. YABLOKO will provide to such joint candidates half of the number of places allotted to the YABLOKO party nominees, as well as half of places in single-mandate precincts.
The candidates will be nominated via primaries. YABLOKO proposes to hold primaries in all the 22 electoral territories...

Liberals upset with renewed Human Rights set-back in Azerbaijan

Press Release, the ALDE party, February 11, 2013

European Liberals strongly condemn the recent clampdown on liberal activists in Azerbaijan. Among others Tofig Yagublu, deputy chairman of ALDE member party Musavat was arrested and charged with “violation of public order”.

Liberals welcome the statement by European top officials and encourage the European Commission to strongly defend fundamental human rights in their bilateral discussions with the Azeri authorities...

German Liberal MP is the new president of GLOBE Europe

Press Release, the ALDE party, February 8, 2013

Michael Kauch, an FDP MP, is the new president of GLOBE Europe, the European Chapter of the Global Legislators Organisation for a Balanced Environment. He was elected at the recent General Assembly to succeed the Danish Green Steen Gade, who didn't run for another term. Vice Presidents are Petra BAYER (Austria), Linas BALSYS (Lithuania), Barry GARDINER (UK), Jens HOLM (Sweden) and Arnaud LEROY (France).

GLOBE is a cross-party and trans-national network of MPs, who are committed to the environment and to sustainability. At present, MPs from 88 countries around the world represent their countries in the network. Major activities are global parliamentary dialogues on climate policy, forest protection and sustainable development...

Environmentalists on the Sochi Olympic Year loudly announced by the governments

Press Release, February 10, 2013
On February 7, the day of celebration of the "Year of the Olympic Games" in Sochi, environmentalists from the Kudepasta village opposing the construction of the Kudepsta thermal electric power station in the area and YABLOKO activists of the Sochi branch of YABLOKO conducted an action targeted at drawing public attention to the environmental problems in the region and maintaining of healthy environment...

YABLOKO collects signatures against destruction of a unique Sochi park

Press Release, February 6, 2013
The Sochi branch of the YABLOKO party joined the campaign for collection of signatures under an appeal to the federal and regional authorities to preserve the unique park Southern Cultures, as an asphalt concrete factory is being built by the park.

The construction site is located within the buffer zone of the park. A walk among 60 rare trees enlisted in the Red Book which has become a place interest in Sochi is used now as a road for trucks. And cutting of trees has been going on.

In 2012, the Federal Property Management Agency (Rosimuschestvo) transferred the Southern Cultures Park to the Ministry of Natural Resources. However, in the process of transfer it turned out that a 250-meter walkway connecting the park with the sea shore, was not part of the park any more and was in the disposal of the city administration...

Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics: A Celebration of Human Body and Spirit or Complicity in Crimes?

North Caucasus Environmental Watch. Open Letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), February 11, 2013

...A unique environment is being damaged irreparably over a large area. According to our information, functionality of approximately 2000 hectares of the Greater Sochi had been radically changed; radical land expropriation, destruction of natural landscapes and appearance of anthropogenic landscapes have taken place. First of all, this concerns the Mzimta river valley (deforestation) in the area of construction of a combined railroad and highway Adler – Alpinka Service and Imeretinskaya valley, where substantial agricultural lands and wetlands were replaced by compensation housing construction and by transportation infrastructure and storage facilities. Some of the territories of the Western Caucasus (UNESCO World Heritage site) were removed from World Heritage protection, natural heritage sites are being destroyed, and crushed-stone quarries are mined in the reserve areas of the national park. That is, diverse ecosystems were damaged practically irreparably. New threats of landslides, erosion, avalanches, and mudslide have appeared on the slopes of mountain ridge Aibga as a result of continuing deforestation and construction of ski trails, chair lifts and other objects. Disappearance of specific natural habitats, even when there are analogous remote natural habitats, of numerous plant and animal species in Sochi is reaching critical levels and is leading to local extinction of the species, which, in its turn, is leading to impoverishment of biodiversity. This is a consequence of the inability of the affected species to migrate across regions unfit for their survival...

New wave of reprisals against Yabloko activists

Press Release, the ALDE party, February 6, 2013

ALDE Party President Sir Graham Watson MEP has expressed the collective concern of European Liberal Democrats to news of a fresh wave of reprisals against members of the Russian United Democratic party (Yabloko).

Sergei Mitrokhin, the leader of ALDE member party Yabloko, has condemned the Federal Security Bureau in the Sverdlovsk region which has interpreted a recent Russian law ‘on the counteraction to the extremist activity’ to obtain a court order permitting Maxim Petlin, Chair of Yabloko’s Sverdlovsk Region branch to be placed under surveillance and for all his all telephone conversations to be monitored. A complaint filed to the Supreme Court was also dismissed.

ALDE Party President Sir Graham Watson MEP said: “European Liberal Democrats are increasingly concerned at the instances of persecution facing members of open and fully legal political parties. During its years of existence the Yabloko party has not provided an occasion for it to be equated to extremist organisations. It seems the government regards the words ‘opposition’ and ‘extremism’ as synonyms.”

“European Liberal Democrats and Yabloko call on the European Union to put pressure on Russia and for the Russian government to immediately stop such reprisals and to bring those responsible to justice”...

Stalinisation of the Russian society targets "tightening of the screws"

Statement by the YABLOKO Party, February 6, 2013

...When officials of such a high rank as Vice-Premier Dmitry Rogozin support the idea of returning the name of Stalin to the city of Volgograd and [Chair of the Federation Council] Valentina Matviyenko and [head of the Central Electoral Commission] Vladimir Churov say that a referendum should be conducted on this issue, they think least of all of historical justice. The Battle of Stalingrad is part of the world history, as well as the heroic defence of besieged Leningrad. However, if we speak about returning of previous names to these cities, then we can speak only about their original names, as it was in case with St. Petersburg. And in case of Volgograd this should be Tsaritsyn. And without any referendum.

After all, if [head of the Central Electoral Commission] Vladimir Churov counts the votes, there is no doubt that 146 per cent will vote for returning Joseph Stalin’s name to Volgograd. It willl be done in accordance with the saying attributed to Stalin: "Those who cast the votes decide nothing, those who count the votes decide everything".

The YABLOKO party demands to put an end to the Stalinist sabbath around the anniversary of the victory at Stalingrad. To make it, as President Putin have said, so that Russia "would always be victorious", first we must get rid of the salves complex, which Stalin instilled in the people and condemn the executioners...

On political reprisals against YABLOKO activists

Statement by YABLOKO’s Bureau, February 5, 2013

The YABLOKO party notes with concern a new wave of reprisals against YABLOKO members.

The adoption of the Federal Law "On the Counteraction to the Extremist Activity" encouraged the law enforcement activities that are clearly violating the law: gathering information about the members of the party and their activities, inviting them for ‘conversations’ [in the police], detentions, searches, seizure of documents and institution of criminal proceedings.
According to the Federal Security Bureau Department (FSB) for the Sverdlovsk region, the YABLOKO party is a radical oppositional structure sharply criticising the state authorities and negatively assessing broadening of the proxies of the FSB of Russia. According to FSB, it is a party setting such a goals as changing Putin-Medvedev’s regime, elimination of monopoly in politics, economy and media and the democratisation of the country.

Such a political stance of the party was laid in the basis of the ruling of the Sverdlovsk Region Court giving a permission to wiretap all the telephone conversations conducted by Maxim Petlin, Chair of the Sverdlovsk Region branch of the Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO, control all his postal, telegraph and other messages and information from technical communication channels, as well as put him on surveillance.
After the decision of the court, further supported later by a judge of the Supreme Court in response to a complaint filed by Maxim Petlin [to the Supreme Court], we can conclude that a political surveillance regime has been introduced in respect of the YABLOKO party, as well as other opposition parties claiming similar goals...