Kaliningrad leans towards Europe

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered once again last weekend in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad to demand more autonomy and the resignation of Prime Minister Putin. This regional unrest symbolises Kaliningrad's partiality for Europe, writes the left-liberal Süddeutsche Zeitung: "Its geographical position is both a dilemma and an opportunity for the country. Because the calls for more autonomy are driven by the awareness that it lies on Russia's periphery yet at the same time in the centre of the European Union. Wedged in between the sea and the EU states of Lithuania and Poland, for many of Kaliningrad's inhabitants Europe is closer than their own capital. After decades as a Soviet no-go area the living standards in the exclave are still considerably lower than in most Russian areas. ... Europe is therefore both close and yet far away. Controlling the borders is problematic, the dream of visa-free travel to neighbouring countries has remained unfulfilled, and the prosperity beyond the borders remains unattainable. The Muscovites have run out of ideas on how to satisfy Kaliningrad."

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