The EU welcomes Putin and forgets human rights

When Vladimir Putin visited Italy on March 13th, Italy signed a series of agreements with Russia. Amid much back-patting, human rights and democracy were forgotten, deplores the editorialist Sandro Viola. "Putin is reaping the highest European honours, distributing embraces, 'nudge-nudge-wink-winks' and pats on the shoulder among EU Prime Ministers and Heads of State. ... Because business is business. Energy demands are not mere trifles and we are still more dependent on Russian petrol and gas supplies. So how to speak about the comatose state of Russia's democratic life? And what about the stifling of opposition; the masquerade of a parliament that only functions to approve orders from the big boss and the scandalous situation of a magistracy brazenly manoeuvred by the executive? How to express our disapproval of the incredible measures recently undertaken in Moscow with a view to upcoming elections?"

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