Arnold Vaatz: “Opposition should explain to Europe how to help people of Belarus”
- 22.10.2008, 13:46
Bundestag member and representative of the Christian Democratic Unioon Arnold Vaatz thinks Europe should learn an opinion of the opposition before establishing closer ties with the Belarusian regime.
“The German Government is certainly going to change its attitude towards Belarus, meet half-way to Lukashenka, who stands now for better relations with Europe. But before cooperating with Lukashenka, they should learn an opinion of the opposition,” the politician told in an interview to Deutsche Welle.
Moreover, Arnold Vaatz, who is also a member of parliamentary commissions for human rights and economic cooperation, thinks that “the Belarusian opposition should explain to Europe how to help people of Belarus.”
In the view of the German MP, before now, a main disadvantage of the European policy has been ignoring of an opinion of the Belarusian opposition by the European Union.
“Belarusian oppositionists have never been invited to considering issues on relations with Belarus in Paris, Berlin, or anywhere in Europe,” he said.
If this tendency is continued, the opposition may turn into a fifth wheel, as the EU is able to develop relations not only with the official Minsk. According to Arnold Vaats, this is “a main problem of the western policy concerning eastern European countries, a problem that has been existing for 40 years.”
“However sad it may be, German and western politicians in general have always contacted only with government of the eastern European countries, presuming that only governments express an opinion of people and countries. For instance, Cuba’s government was regarded by the West as speaker of the people’s opinion, though it is not true. So, we shouldn’t consider the Belarusian government to be a voice of people. One can’t sew a costume without measuring a client,” the Bund stag’s member believes.
He knows the leaders of the Belarusian opposition well, appraise them and for this reason thinks that “their opinion on changing the EU’s attitude towards Belarus will be an instrument able to estimate EU’s aspirations.”
That is why the German MP calls on the opposition to express a categorical opinion on the events in the west and softening of the attitude towards Lukashenka, and on increased diplomatic and political activity concerning Belarus.
“There are pros and cons, so we need to understand a position of the democratic forces in the nearest time, otherwise the events may go on their way, and an opinion of the opposition won’t be taken into consideration,” Arnold Vaatz warns.