Council of Europe integrates Russian opposition
Representatives of the Russian opposition are now also members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). A total of 15 Russians and representatives of ethnic minorities living in exile are to participate in the assembly's Platform for Dialogue with Russia's Democratic Forces. Russia was expelled from the Council of Europe in 2022 following its attack on Ukraine.
Dialogue with a different Russia
Opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza, who is also a member of the delegation, writes in Echo:
“The significance of this platform cannot be overstated, because for the first time an official mechanism for dialogue between the Russian democratic opposition and the countries of the democratic West is being established. ... The largest and oldest pan-European parliamentary organisation is officially entering into dialogue with a completely different Russia. Not the Russia of murderers and war criminals, but the Russia of ordinary people who are against war and who see the future of our country in a completely different light. ... And this will destroy the Kremlin's usurped monopoly on representing Russia in the international arena.”
They don't represent anyone
In a Facebook post, journalist Sergey Parkhomenko sees very limited opportunities for the Russian opposition platform in PACE:
“These people don't represent anyone. ... They do not 'represent the Russians' in any way whatsoever. Because no 'Russians' have given these 'representatives' the right to represent them. And no procedures have been carried out that would form the basis for such representation. ... They have expert authority, but no representative authority. And we cannot demand from these experts something that they are incapable of providing. Even if they dream of doing so and some of them make tempting but unrealistic promises.”