Finnish prime minister Matti Vanhanen took the opportunity yesterday in a final address to the European Parliament on his country's EU presidency to issue a warning about retrograde developments in Russia. The EU needs a firm commitment to democracy, the rule of law and the market economy there, he said. "We do not want Russia to go in an authoritarian direction", adding that "we are fully entitled to be concerned" about current trends there.
It is a timely warning and a necessary one. Finland has a privileged view of Russian developments because of its close proximity and deep historical experience of them. During the cold war the Finns strove to maintain a cautious neutrality between Russia and the West; after it they have moved closer to a non-aligned position since joining the EU in 1995. They take their political obligations to EU common foreign, security and defence policies very seriously.
Their presidency has put Russia's relationship with the EU at the centre of its external relations just when long- term energy security, democracy and human rights loom very large on both of their agendas. Mr Vanhanen insisted yesterday that Russia is an "acid test" of the EU's foreign policy unity. That has been made very plain following the EU's informal summit at Lahti in October, when they strove successfully to present a united line to President Putin, especially on energy security. It worked on that occasion, but fell apart thereafter, ahead of last month's more formal EU-Russian summit which was intended to open negotiations on a long-term agreement with Russia. The Polish government vetoed that endeavour because of a bilateral dispute over a ban on its food exports to Russia, which has not yet been resolved.
Mr Vanhanen pointed out quite correctly yesterday that the alternative to EU unity in dealing with Russia is a succession of bilateral deals, some good and some bad for individual countries. It is quite an unsatisfactory way to do business and could have very serious consequences. Already there has been some pressure on the Government to do a bilateral Irish-Russian deal on beef exports, which could otherwise suffer if the row with Poland is extended. Sensibly, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has rejected that in favour of centralised bargaining.
Were such bilateralism to be extended to energy security many EU member states - including Ireland - could be exposed to the kinds of pressure put on Ukraine a year ago over pricing and currently in Belarus and Georgia. That must be resisted by the EU as a whole.