Research Papers

The Modernisation agenda launched by Putin/Medvedev has perhaps provided the opportunity to reframe the language of the EU-Russia relationship away from the seemingly counterproductive language of conditionality and values to one of joint a Partnership For Modernisation as announced in the programme of that name at the EU-Russia summit June 2010. This paper will explore the relationship between modernisation and europeanisation and the differences in perspective both between the EU and Russia and within Russia itself. It will place this in the context of the historical debate within Russia as to whether modernisation involving cooperation with the West can occur in the form of technical and economic modernisation without importing the attendant political values (as the demotion of emphasis on these in the PfM would seem to imply -) or whether modernisation can ever be culturally neutral and “europeanisation” will inevitably follow any modernising agenda for Russia. The paper will touch on what modernisation means in various sectors but specifically look at areas such as public administration, soft security cooperation and the challenge of the fight against corruption. Any greater integration of the EU and Russia within the Common Spaces and greater alignment of regulations mentioned in the PfM depends on the reliability of Russian administration and officials. This requires not only training and legislation but also often changing much more deep-rooted practices and culture. In this sense modernisation cannot be culturally neutral. Whether it means europeanisation or not, it does mean changing local values even to facilitate some of the apparently uncontentious and “value-free” projects in the Partnership for Modernisation.