What the crisis in Europe is dangerous for?

The adviser of the secretary general of the Council of Europe, the director of political affairs Alexander Gessel, acting at the Moscow school of civil education, told about crisis in which there is Europe today and about what it is dangerous:

- Russia, certainly, is part of the European space and it would be wrong to separate process in Europe and process in Russia, human rights in Europe and human rights in Russia. I am not ready to separate today Russia from Europe. That fact that Russia entered the Council of Europe that it lives there already any time, namely more than 15 years, that fact that today's Russia doesn't differ at all from the European system by the valuable messages, can't but install the optimism.

I watch polemic with interest which began not yesterday, not in this or that century – that Russia has own way. All can have own way, but, it seems to me, the space is identical.

Crisis is not simply the word … Now it is obvious to all that we endure serious crisis. I would like to allocate some components. Four components of crises seem to me important. First of all, it is a social and economic crisis.

The European Union and all other Europe endure the crisis of the European institutes that provokes the crisis of the European values. And it finally creates crisis of public trust to the power. At once I will tell that it doesn't seem to me that the situation started being resolved somehow. There is a lot of questions …

Probably, the economic and social crises seem less obvious for the Russians. Russia endures them to a lesser extent today, than it is felt in the European countries. And in Western Europe the crisis starts reaching the apogee! And it concerns all countries. Even Germany which seems more protected country.

Absolutely accurate manifestation of this crisis is first of all, increase in number of the unemployed, and, as a result of it, increase in the period of unemployment. This loss of confidence in tomorrow is felt literally everywhere. First of all socially vulnerable groups suffer. And the most vulnerable group is the youth: today it is the hardest moment to find work in the West European countries!

Other very vulnerable group is people of middle age. They, losing work, are sure that won't find the work more… We speak about the need to lift a retirement age, thus, however, we can't guarantee that people will have a work. It creates very heavy atmosphere in society. The following vulnerable group is the migrants.

26 million unemployed are in the territory of the European Union now. It is a population of several European countries! And 43 million people who are on a side or below the poverty line. The number of the unemployed grew by 25-30% in Greece, Spain, Portugal, Ireland. Also it is very serious figure!

How it influences the society? All this conducts to disappointment in political and economic system. And today the population of many countries in Western Europe was disappointed in existing model. From the point of view of the population the state and supranational structures don't take the necessary steps to lower load of citizens. In recent years (2008-2012) the European Commission allocated funds to the aid of financial sector of 5060 billion euro. These are 40% of gross domestic product of the European Union! But the population considers that all this becomes not for them …

And we see very heavy corruption scandals against it by which many countries are penetrated, in general. France, Spain … Now everywhere there are corruption scandals. And it calls into question into trust to the power, and is very difficult to get out of crisis without it! Therefore the European system of values is exposed to big attack, including our governors … But, of course, unconsciously.

What all this mean? And it means that on elections the general disappointment conducts to that the trust to the main ruling parties, the main ruling class sharply falls. And we see that those parties which were considered as the absolutely not wishing to hand shake earlier win the elections or, at least, select absolutely surprising quantity of the voices.

Or that is even more surprising, there are absolutely new … In Italy Beppe Grillo collected 25%! The national Front in France to which I advise seriously to look narrowly, on elections in two majority districts left in the second round. 48% - it weren't before! In 2002 they had 21% in the second round with Chirac... It means that it isn't terrible to people to vote for them. Also it is very difficult situation.

High level of dissatisfaction is observed by democratic system in many countries. According to polls, 89% of Greeks, 85% of the Romanian, 76% of Lithuanians, 74% of Bulgarians and Portuguese, 73% of Slovenes, 70% of Czechs, Hungarians and Slovaks are dissatisfied with the political system. It is only those whose indicator is more than 70%...

There is a large number of extremist forces which work very accurately. They name the guilty: migrants, foreigners, European institutes, government … The neighbor after all is most often guilty when it is necessary to accuse somebody … For example, the meetings against Roma and other groups in Eastern Europe, racist performances, attacks on migrants passed. This attack to values conducts to crisis of the European institutes. And here they speak to us: and why euro is necessary for us? Why European Union? But they don't speak how to change, because there are no miracle recipes!

There are attacks to the European court on human rights. In Great Britain it already became as a red rag … Already some members of the government offer that the country left ECHR. But it means to denounce the European convention on human rights which is simply a cornerstone! It is tragic that the population doesn't react in any way to it.

It is stereotyped to criticize the reports of PACE – everyone does that. Now there is a monitoring of 10 countries, but I consider that it is necessary to do in all 47 countries! Because I am absolutely not sure that there is at least one country which has no problems with human rights. For example, Hungary, the country entering into the European Union, but the ruling majority changes the constitution, and the system becomes already a bit different! The Council of Europe has to be engaged in it, has to clang a bell. To say to ambassadors and representatives of the governments that there are problems. It needs to be done!

And we now are engaged in it. It is necessary to protect our system of values because we don't have another; others are worse …