Press release, 24.10.2015
International conference “Killing Stereotypes and Finding Common Values and Points for Interaction” was held in Moscow on Saturday, 24 October. The conference was organized jointly by the Alliance of Liberal and Democrats for Europe party (ALDE) and its member parties – YABLOKO and Danish Radikale Venstre.

Galina Mikhaleva, Secretary of YABLOKO Political Committee, opened the conference. She emphasized that it was for the fifth time that such a conference had been held in Moscow.

Sir Graham Watson, ALDE party President, sent his video addresses to the conference.

He noted that politicians around the world faced many important issues such as rapid growth of the world population, great pressure in connection with migration issues, climate change, energy security, an combatting international crime and terrorism. Sir Graham stressed that all people together had to solve all these issues in the globalized world.

Morten Østergaard, President of Radikale Venstre, also sent his video addresses to the conference.

Morten Østergaard noted that the challenges Russian liberals had to confront in the Russian system were much greater than those Danish people had to face, in particular militarization of the economy at the expense of social policies. He said that the situation in Russia had considerably changed: “we are joint together in our fight against ISIL but we feel that the Russian government’s actions are not perhaps are directed only towards ISIL but also towards the legitimate Syrian opposition. One of the issues that is really worth discussing is the issue of rising xenophobia both in Europe and in Russia. We aim to have the Danish government take more responsibility in what is the worst refugee crisis in the history of the United Nations and also in a time when there are more refuges in the world than has been in any point of time after the Second World War”.

He called to collaboration in the cultural context: fight against stereotypes, xenophobia and homophobia.

YABLOKO founder Grigory Yavlinsky spoke about the relations between Europe and Russia. “In historical perspective Europe does not have any prospects without Russia, as well as Russia does not have any prospects without Europe. In spite of the fact that Russia-EU relations have a “smell of war” at present, we have to overcome stereotypes and look for way of interaction and mutual economic and political integration,” Yavlinsky said.

According to Grigory Yavlinsky, in 30-40 years there will be two centres of economic power in the world: North America and Asia. Yavlinsky noted that Europe would be able to successfully compete against North America and Asia in only Europe would find a way of interaction, economic and political integration with Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

This issue remains on the agenda regardless of what is happening in Russia. Yavlinsky said that “the political project that was most successful in the history of mankind was the creation of the European Union”, which was conceived in 1947, just two years after the end of World War II, when the nations of Europe had been killing each other, and half of Europe was under Stalin.

“There were courage and wisdom to proclaim the need of such a union then, and in 50 years this goal was achieved. Does not this represent an inspiring example for us? This is what we have to think about now, despite the present developments,” Yavlinsky said.

Grigory Yavlinsky called Europeans to critically reflect on Europe’s attitude to the Russian people as a patriarchal people, which should be led by some military general, or intelligence services colonel, or an oligarch, or a nationalist, or a leftist leader. “It is not true. You should not pay attention onto public opinion polls. People are now under the influence of the most powerful propaganda and fear,” he noted.

YABLOKO Chairman Sergei Mitrokhin compared the specifics of liberalism in Russia and Europe and analysed the social liberalism in the historical perspective – today and 100 years ago.

He noted that the goal of liberalism in Europe was liberalisation of politics and in Russia liberalisation of the society.

At the same time, the EU countries hadn’t face the problem of transition from the totalitarian system to democracy but Russia had faced that problem at a greater extent than in Eastern Europe, Mitrokhin said.

Sergei Mitrokhin claimed that Russia had two possibilities of choosing freedom and liberal values: in 1917 and early 1990s. But both the times the people chose non-freedom and despotism.

“The Constitutive Assembly of 1917 was eliminated and the people decided not to protect the freedom from despotism. Only the minority turned out to be able to do it. And at once democracy repeated the destiny of communism,” he said.

Sergei Mitrokhin also recalled that social liberalism had been the main ideology of the Constitutional Democratic Party (People’s freedom party, Cadets). He stressed that YABLOKO’s ideology was social liberalism.

YABLOKO leader mentioned the succession between YABLOKO and the Cadets party. But the Cadets had failed to become the unifying liberal force which could have given freedom to the people.

“Trotsky used to say that if Pyotr Stolypin’s reforms had been successful the October revolution wouldn’t have taken place. But the Cadets did not support Stolypin’s reforms.

The Cadets failed to form an alternative to a long-term Russian anti-liberal tradition. The important issue was the problem of private property. They supported the alienation of private lands. At that time it was probably justified. However, they did not make a further step: they did not consider the problem of formation of a new class of land owners, if the lands had to go to peasants’ communities. Though it was obvious that these communities were pulling Russia back”.

Sergei Mitrokhin emphasized that in 1990s liberal forces once again faced the property issue, but that time democrats were more responsible than the Cadets.

Though those reforms had been called democratic, they hadn’t been social liberal, he stressed.

YABLOKO leader said that social liberal ideology envisaged reforms for the majority; whereas classical liberalism of the 17th century envisaged reforms for the minority. He stressed that the criminal privatisation of the 1990s had been conducted in the interests of the absolute minority.

“Social liberalism today is the only alternative to the present regime like it was in 1917 and 1991,” stressed Sergei Mitrokhin.

He mentioned that the other liberal parties didn’t take into consideration the experience of 1990s. “Many such people say that they are rooted in those reforms and ideologically justify them”.

In view of this, “YABLOKO bears huge responsibility as only its ideology can resist the present polices”.

Sergei Mitrokhin agreed with Grigory Yavlinsky that the present political course would lead to the collapse of the regime. “It means that soon there will emerge the third chance for freedom for the Russian people. This lays responsibility on YABLOKO: we must bring freedom and avoid the mistakes of the previous generations,” Sergei Mitrokhin noted.

The programme of the conference

The programme of the conference