ABSTRACT

Today, Russia’s commitment to democracy and human rights is in crisis. In 2014, the EU halted summits with Russia, including the Human Rights Dialogue, but continues to support projects aimed at civil society. The human rights (HuR) agenda was an integral part of EU–Russia cooperation from the 1990s, though the partners prioritised it differently. Russia adopted HuR norms and reformed its public institutions in accordance with European standards, the Council of Europe playing an important role in Russia’s implementation of HuR norms and practices. From the early 2000s, Russia’s political elite pursued a policy of restoring a strong state that undermined the independence of civil society, economic and political actors. Scholars argue statism is a key reason for incomplete democratisation in Russia. With regard to HuR, the EU and Russia disagree on their understanding of politics and its legitimate actors and on the hierarchy of international and national priorities. Since Russia publicly started to evaluate cases of HuR violations in EU countries, the HuR dialogue has turned into an exchange of accusations. As long as both sides use HuR as a political instrument, substantial HuR cooperation, whether institutional or at the level of citizens, is hardly possible.