Europe is sceptical facing the Russian presidentials

"The Kremlin is oozing fear: fear of simple questions, of debates and basic responsibilities", explains Pilar Bonet, the daily's Moscow correspondent. "This fear is inculcated by the presidential administration with a subtle mixture of threats and warnings. The ghost of Stalin has yet to disappear and civil servants are naturally falling into old habits of self-defence developed during the Terror. ... This sinister dimension is not exclusively Russian heritage; it exists in other European countries too. But in the case of Russia, it is growing considerably. By sinister dimension, I mean the criminally conniving silences, non-clarified assassinations, the abortion or abandoning for political or economic reasons of inquiries against high dignitaries, the non-respect of institutional duties and, ultimately, the anxiety of citizens alone and vulnerable in the face of violence."

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