George Soros: 'Europe Is Facing a Challenge from Russia to Its Very Existence'

Novinite Insider » OPINIONS | October 23, 2014, Thursday // 18:29
Bulgaria: George Soros: 'Europe Is Facing a Challenge from Russia to Its Very Existence' George Soros. Photo: Wikipedia.org

American investor and philanthropist George Soros warned that Russia's expansionism poses an existential threat to the EU and called for more material support for Ukraine.

In an article, entitled “Wake Up, Europe, published in the New York Review of Books” argues that Vladimir Putin’s mix of authoritarianism and aggressive nationalism represents an alternative model to western liberal democracies

“Now Russia is presenting an alternative that poses a fundamental challenge to the values and principles on which the European Union was originally founded,” Soros writes. “It is based on the use of force that manifests itself in repression at home and aggression abroad, as opposed to the rule of law.”

“The fiscal rules that currently prevail in Europe have aroused a lot of popular resentment,” Soros writes. “Anti-Europe parties captured nearly 30 percent of the seats in the latest elections for the European Parliament but they had no realistic alternative to the EU to point to until recently. Now Russia is presenting an alternative that poses a fundamental challenge to the values and principles on which the European Union was originally founded. It is based on the use of force that manifests itself in repression at home and aggression abroad, as opposed to the rule of law. What is shocking is that Vladimir Putin’s Russia has proved to be in some ways superior to the European Union—more flexible and constantly springing surprises. That has given it a tactical advantage, at least in the near term. ”

Soros said the EU had become a dysfunctional relationship between creditor and debtor nations, resulting in widespread resentment.

“Putin has established good relations with those agitating against Europe,” he said. “The failure of Europe as an experiment in supranational government would make Russia a potent threat … The collapse of Ukraine would be a tremendous loss for NATO, the European Union and the United States. A victorious Russia would become much more influential within the EU and pose a potent threat to the Baltic states with large ethnic Russian populations.”

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!

Opinions » Be a reporter: Write and send your article
Tags: George Soros, europe, EU, Russia, Ukraine, European Union, Vladimir Putin

Advertisement
Advertisement
Bulgaria news Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) is unique with being a real time news provider in English that informs its readers about the latest Bulgarian news. The editorial staff also publishes a daily online newspaper "Sofia Morning News." Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) and Sofia Morning News publish the latest economic, political and cultural news that take place in Bulgaria. Foreign media analysis on Bulgaria and World News in Brief are also part of the web site and the online newspaper. News Bulgaria