Bulletin n. 1/2008 | ||
May 2008 | ||
Makarychev Andrey S. |
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Russia's Search for International Identity Through the Sovereign Democracy Concept | ||
in International Spectator (The) , Vol. XLIII, n. 2, April-June , 2008 | ||
The search for common language has become a demanding issues in the Russia-EU relationship. One of the strongest messages contained in Russia's "sovereign democracy" concept is its desire to be regarded as a "normal" country, a full-fledged member of the international community. The concept embodies a search for its own subjectivity, which is ultimately felt to be a pre-condition for its self-assertion vis-à-vis Europe. Russia does not question any of the basic European norms; instead it seeks to offer an alternative version of each of them. For the Western audience, analysis of these concepts is essential for a better comprehension of Russia's foreign policy arguments. | ||