The independent expert platform Our Days News held an online conference attended by experts from Italy, Latvia, United Kingdom and France.
The speakers discussed a number of topical issues of modern Europe, including among many other things the rehabilitation of Nazism in the Baltic countries, totalitarianism in a once democratic Europe, freedom of speech and human rights, the Ukrainian crisis and the possibility of a peaceful end to the conflict, as well as the chances of a new pandemic and problems pertaining to the global warming.
Or as the deliberations of the Vienna Process noted back in 2020: “No sincere rethinking of Europe without unrestrained, frank talks. Absence of talks is absence of Future.”
The conference was attended by public activist and human rights advocate Alexander Goponenko, blogger Baptiste Quetier, journalist Mike Jones, Como Carpintier. The conference was moderated by Our Days News expert Markus Guvin.
In his report, Alexander Goponenko noted that following the Soviet breakup, the Baltic republics fell into colonial dependence on the Anglo-Saxons. “The main tool for managing the colonies was dividing the population into upper and lower classes along ethnic lines, pitting them against each other … The external management of the Anglo-Saxons ensured the division of the population of the colonies into titular and non-titular,” Goponenko said. Against this political backdrop, it was easy for the metropolitan countries (US, Great Britain) to appropriate key infrastructure facilities, destroy competitive industrial enterprises and ensure labor emigration.
“Since the start of the conflict between Russia and the West in 2014, the situation of the non-titular population of the Baltic states has deteriorated significantly. Ethnic Russians were deprived of the right to receive education in their native language, maintain their own culture and use their own media. A policy of forced assimilation began.” Right before the eyes of the whole world, in order to deprive the Russians of their spiritual values, in Europe they demolished monuments to Soviet soldiers who liberated the Baltic countries from Nazi occupation. Those who protested against the deprivation of their right to preserve their ethnic identity were prosecuted and thrown behind bars on trumped-up charges. “I would like to draw your attention to the fact that Sergei Seredenko, social activists Aivo Peterson, Andrey Andronov and Dmitry Rutsi are currently in jail in Estonia for their human rights activities. Journalists Algirdas Palecki and Aleksey Greichus are imprisoned in Lithuania. Tatyana Andriets and Alexander Zhgun are behind bars in Latvia. There is a high-profile trial now in progress there of 14 journalists, whose only fault is that they published articles in Russian publications, that is, they worked in their profession. This sad list goes on and on, I named only those whom I know personally.”
In Estonia, the authorities opted for a simpler path. “Here, special services simply grab unwanted people and deport them. They are allowed to take with them just 10 euros and not even a suitcase with personal belongings. This is what they recently did to Sergei Chaulin, Alexei Esakov, Zoya Palyamar,” added Alexander Goponenko, who was likewise persecuted and handed a two-year jail term actually for fighting against fascism.
The speakers pointed to the dismal situation with human rights and freedoms in the Baltics with no prospects for improvement soon visible.
Baptiste Quetier spoke about the face of modern-day war being waged with the help of the media, political and economic instruments against culture, language and history, which poses a threat to traditional values and European identity. “In fact, who is the biggest danger on the European continent to the national identity of Europeans? It is the United States,” the expert said, adding that the European Union was gradually turned into an American colony.”
Indeed, European traditions, values and culture have all degraded under the onslaught of American globalization. The political system, once an example for the whole world, has also changed, but who believes today in European democracy with its dishonest elections, politically biased decisions and persecution? “What I’m saying is that France is a dictatorship,” Baptiste Quetier concluded.
In his opening statements, Come Carpentier said, “A phenomenon that we are seeing in many parts of the world is the resurgence of certain forms of nationalism.” He noted that these phenomena were trying to cross out certain periods of history and claim an identity that is completely separate and independent from the larger communities they belonged to for centuries. We see this happening in Spain, in Catalonia, and the Basque country, and in some other European countries.”
He also emphasized the essential role of the media, which promotes the trends that are being forced on it and are very difficult to resist. In his report, Come Carpentier also touched upon the topic of European identity, which is now being “played out” from different positions and interpreted in a very contradictory way. “So you see that we find ourselves in an extremely, I would say, contradictory situation, because, on the one hand, we are supposed to be open societies that welcome everyone. And yet we try to erect barriers and say that we have a “superior” identity; and since the communists and the Nazis were equally guilty of atrocities, this means that the Nazis also play a useful role, therefore we should not reject them. By the way, this is what the United States did right after World War II, when they accepted thousands of Nazis, and also established contacts with the Nazis in Eastern Europe, which they thought would come in handy in the fight against the Soviet Union,” the expert noted.
In his address, Mike Jones also said that the problems of growing totalitarianism concern almost all countries of Europe and Britain. The anti-Russian trend is spreading almost everywhere in Europe, as the main basis that politics, European identity and even the economy are built upon. This is not working out well though, because the people in Europe still remember history, they still respect freedom and do not want to “play games,” as they know what they are fraught with. Ukraine is a graphic example of this. “The worst thing right now with Ukraine is that people are being killed as a result of these lies,” Mike Jones said.
Summing up the discussion, the event’s moderator Markus Guvin noted that the prospects for Europe, if it continues on its current track, do not look very bright. Under the influence of the United States, the European elites do not think rationally in the best interest of their countries. “Perhaps there could be some kind of regime change in some European countries.” When asked by a viewer if one could hope for an improvement in relations with Russia in the next decade, Marcus Guvin said, “Well, I have my own opinion on this matter. Russia does not need it. Yes, in fact, Russia does not need it, because Russia does not need Europe in its present state. What is Europe? What is the European Union right now when it is currently an American network?”
The expert discussion was very lively and eventful, see the full version of the record at…
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The Our Days News channel organizes conferences with experts from different parts of Europe. These meetings are aimed at examining European issues from different angles and presenting a comprehensive and unbiased view of the continent.
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