Andrei Chadanovich on Belarus and Europe

To Belarusian poet Andrei Chadanovich, the fight between Russia and Belarus has its positive side: "We never notice some of our bodily organs - the small, unessential ones - unless they hurt. That is more or less what is happening in Western Europe: Suddenly it realizes there is a small country that can cause a lot of problems: Belarus. Of course, western Europe knew about this place before: a place defined by a certain lack of democracy and with 'the last dictator of Europe.' But should that be of any concern to us western Europeans? Not at all. And the dictator does not bother us either. It's just not our problem. Russia should cope with its 'little brother.' But now it is clear that this is not at all only a 'special Russian' problem. It's like a fight between hooligans, when the bystander gets caught up in the thrashing. The mutual Russian-Belarusian extortion is nothing other than a brawl between rioters. And every European who used to think that 'the EU is a world unto itself' is bearing the brunt."

» to the homepage (external link, Süddeutsche Zeitung)
More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » EU Policy, » Russia, » Europe