How the EU role and image is perceived in Russia. Roundtable “The Post Lisbon EU Role and Image: An External Perspective”. 10 June 2013. University of Bologna

1. THE EU VIEWED FROM RUSSIA
PROF. N.BELYAEVA CHAIR , HSE PUBLIC POLICY DEPARTMENT
ROUNDTABLE “THE POST LISBON EU: AN EXTERNAL PERSPECTIVE”
10 JUNE 2013, BOLOGNA

2. RUSSIA AND EUROPE IN FIVE
CLUSTERS
• Russian officials
• Business
• Russian patriots
• Russian Liberals and
Human Rights NGO’s
• People

3. RUSSIAN OFFICIALS:
A FORMAL PARTNERSHIP
Vladimir Putin: «We should hear each
other, consider interests of each other
and work with each other» (at the
summit Russia of EU in Ekaterinburg,
June, 2013)
http://www.rg.ru/2013/06/04/sammit-
site.html
Sergey Lavrov: «I am convinced that we
are ready for a long time to a visa-
free regime for short-term trips of
citizens» (Feb, 2013)
http://inotv.rt.com/2013-02-26/Lavrov-
obvinil-ES-v-diskriminacii

4. RUSSIAN BUSINESS: ACQUISITION OF
PROPERTY, WITHDRAWAL MONEY, BUYING
CITIZENSHIP
Many rich Russians store their money in
the Swiss banks and have the
property in the USA and Europe.
Besides, some of them almost
constantly live abroad, and their
children study at such prestigious
universities, as Harward, Cambridge
and Oxford
http://inotv.rt.com/2013-02-05/Prizrak-
Magnitskogo-v-Evrope-napugal

5. RUSSIAN PATRIOTS (NATIONALISTS):
SHOWING EUROPE FAILING
«Modern Europe endures crisis of the
civilisation shaken in bases which has
reached a decomposition stage. In it
the main reason of problems of EU
any of huge problems of Europe the
European Union is covered not only
does not solve, and aggravates. This
crisis has accruing dynamics. Still
recently Europe seemed the sample of
well-being and stability for the whole
world. Today it not so»
«Российские вести» , 06.06.2013
Материалы II-го съезда в Москве
20 мая с.г

6. RUSSIAN LIBERALS AND HR NGO’S:
HOPING FOR HELP IN DEVELOPING
DEMOCRACY
Lyudmila Alekseeva: «The European
leaders try not to rise the theme of
human rights with Putin»
http://www.russian.rfi.fr/node/99672
Boris Nemtsov «If for Europeans - human
rights and independent court are
value, Khodorkovsky's question is
key and important … But when Putin
and Barroso meet, they talk about
gas, not about Khodorkovsky»
http://rusedin.ru/2011/05/24/boris-
nemcov-lyublyu-rossiyu-ya-no-
strannoyu-lyubovyu/

7. People
busy
tired
non-interested
non-informed
manipulated

8. Distribution of answers of respondents to a question "Which words
presented below to the greatest degree correspond to your representations
a) Leading countries of Western Europe, b) Russia? "(%).
Institute of Sociology, Russian Academy of Science, 2003
Words Western Union Russia
Human rights 79,9 16,9
Расцвет / Blossoming 66,9 16,7
Гуманизм / Humanism 41,4 38,1
Угнетение / Oppression 18,7 42,3
Свобода / Freedom 58,9 34,2
Цивилизация / Civilisation 78,7 15,7
Духовный мир / Inner world 29,8 63,6
Лицемерие / Hypocrisy 55,6 35,1
Дисциплина / Discipline 70,1 9,4
Патриотизм / Patriotism 25,0 68,4
Благосостояние / Well-being 88,8 6,1
Воля / Will 29,0 42,3
Слабость / Weakness 12,3 57,3
Угроза / Threat 43,2 24,6

9. SLIDE 1
HOW THE MAJORITY OF THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
OF THE WORLD CONCERNS NOW RUSSIA?
(This and tab on slide 2 are result of the recent polls of the independent
Levada Center. June, 21-26, 2012)
2007 2008 2009 2013
As to the friend 4 6 3 3
As to the partner 32 34 39 32
As to the
competitor
33 33 32 35
As to the enemy 7 8 9 8
Do not pay to
Russia special
attention
15 10 9 15
Have found it
difficult to
answer
8 10 8 7

10. SLIDE 2
WHAT DO YOU THINK, IS IT NECESSARY R FOR USSIA JOIN IN THE FUTURE INTO THE
EUROPEAN UNION? (Poll of Levada of the Center. 2012)
Aug
2000
Mar
2001
Dec
2004
Nov
2005
Nov
2006
Nov
2007
May
2010
Oct
2010
June
2011
June
2012
Definitely
yes
23 21 26 19 19 23 10 20 14 8
More
likely yes
31 36 33 34 36 29 40 36 37 36
More
likely is
not present
19 17 14 16 15 16 22 16 21 23
Definitely
is not
present
6 7 6 8 9 7 5 7 8 8
I find it
difficult to
answer
22 19 21 22 22 26 24 22 20 24

11. SLIDE 3
ON COOPERATION WITH WHAT COUNTRIES, IN YOUR OPINION, RUSSIA
FIRST OF ALL IT IS NECESSARY TO BE GUIDED IN THE FOREIGN POLICY?
(This tab and the next are result of the recent polls of the independent Levada Center.
January, 18-21th, 2013)
Jan0
1
Jan0
3
Jan0
4
Feb
06
Feb0
7
Feb0
8
Feb0
9
Apr1
0
Feb1
1
Jan1
2
Jan1
3
USA 31 27 30 24 15 18 15 30 22 18 18
Germany, France,
Great Britain,
Other countries of EU
49 51 54 53 46 49 45 50 48 48 48
Japan 27 23 26 20 19 24 22 23 22 18 22
India, China 22 21 21 24 26 28 32 29 23 34 30
Ukraine, Belarus,
Kazakhstan,
other CIS countries
53 38 49 48 44 48 42 46 43 50 46
Cuba, Venezuela,
Syria, Iran, the North
Korea
11 11 7 7 11 12 12 9 8 9 10
I find it difficult to
answer
10 15 15 16 16 17 18 15 16 13 16

12. SLIDE 4
HOW YOU AS A WHOLE CONCERN NOW THE EUROPEAN
UNION?
2010
Jan Mar May Jul Sept Nov
Very well 5 5 3 4 6 6
Basically it is good 59 59 64 62 62 66
Basically it is bad 16 18 15 15 14 12
Very badly 3 2 1 2 2 2
Difficult to answer 18 17 17 17 17 14
2011
Very well 6 4 3 6 4 8
Basically it is good 63 58 60 60 63 63
Basically it is bad 14 17 19 16 15 11
Very badly 2 4 2 3 3 3
Difficult to answer 15 17 16 16 16 15
2012 2013/Jan
Very well 3 5 4 7 4 5 5
Basically it is good 53 55 60 59 59 54 59
Basically it is bad 21 18 16 17 15 20 19
Very badly 4 3 2 3 3 3 3
Difficult to answer 19 20 17 15 19 17 15

13. RECENT NEWS : “Factor of Sergey Guriev” –
Rector of Russian Economic School
«I will not return, even if there is a
small chance to lose the freedom.
I have not made anything bad,
and I do not want to live in fear»
http://www.russian.rfi.fr/rossiya/20
130531-sergei-guriev-
emigriroval-vo-frantsiyu-potomu-
chto-ne-khochet-zhit-v-strakhe
«I do not worry for myself. I worry
for Navalny, for Pussy Riot and
for participants of the protests
arrested in last year»
http://www.vedomosti.ru/politics/ne
ws/12865681/guriev_sravnil_del
o_yukosa_s_proklyatiem_garri_p
ottera