The supersoft power finally makes its appearance

As the crisis in Kyrgyzstan goes on, Javier Solana, the EU’s Foreign Minister in waiting has finally made a statement on the supersoft power’s behalf. (Perhaps, he has been reading this blog.) He has called on the people and politicians of Kyrgyzstan to calm down and restore law and order, presumably, in the way it existed under President Akayev.

According to Deutsche Welle

“Solana "strongly appealed to the people of Kyrgyzstan to behave responsibly, to ease restoration of law and order throughout the country and to refrain from violence and looting," said a statement issued by his office.”

The EU presidency, Luxembourg, also made a statement:

“The EU "makes a strong appeal to the newly nominated leaders to restore public order as quickly as possible, to begin dialogue with all political forces and to implement a policy of national reconciliation," it said.”

Curiously enough, these statements, with their complete lack of reference to democracy, free and fair elections and the like, echo feebly that made by the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, another one of Putin’s siloviki, though he also attacked the OSCE, blaming its somewhat low-key statement that the recent elections in Kyrgyzstan had several glaring faults in their conduct, for the subsequent unrest and riots.

Lavrov, in fact, called on the OSCE and, by implication, its supporter and partner the EU, to behave responsibly:

“We count that international organizations, including the OSCE, will conduct themselves responsibly because too much depended on how these organizations assessed the events around the elections.”

All this responsible behaviour and national reconciliation does not alter the fact that what the people of Kyrgyzstan want may not come into the EU’s calculations any more than it does into Russia’s: an independent and accountable political system.