George SOROS: Our foundation can support people but not act in their place
Last Tuesday George Soros, on a visit in Kyiv timed to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the International Renaissance Foundation, met unofficially with journalists and the public during a 1+1 channel talk-show video taping and at a Ukraine House reception. Incidentally, Mr. Soros, speaking about the US elections on a 1+1 live program, noted that George W. Bush would win, although it would be better if Al Gore did. He expressed his own attitude toward the candidates by not voting. The renowned businessman and philanthropist answered a few questions from The Day and Ukrayinska pravda, an online publication.
“Addressing the US Congress in 1998, you said Russia had such a specific phenomenon as crony capitalism which in fact hampers its development. Do you think this phenomenon also exists in Ukraine?”
“I think it does.”
“Is this a decisive phenomenon?”
“Everything depends on how people react to it. I think the authorities are subject to public pressure.”
“Former German chancellor, Helmut Kohl, said in an article that Ukraine has no place in the European Union because it belongs to an entirely different culture. What factors, economic or political, do you think will influence Ukrainian movement toward the EU?”
“Politics is also very important. I think that Ukraine has to become an open society for its own sake, not under the wing of the European Union.”
“International organizations are very actively pressing for bringing corruption under control, reforms in the Ukrainian economy, human rights law, etc., linking the fulfillment of these conditions with loans being issued us. Why do they not exert noticeable pressure concerning the freedom of expression?”
“I really don’t know the answer.”
“What do you think is the most important thing for Ukraine in terms of the freedom of expression?”
“I think that people in Ukraine have to fight for the freedom of expression. It cannot be guaranteed by international institutions. The first thing is that people have to stand up and fight for it. It is when the state or some state authorities do things against the law. There are laws that are not observed. It is possible to fight; it is up to the people to make it happen. I think the foundation already supports the legal actions and other things that need to be taken. But it can only support people and not act in their place.”
“What do you think keeps the Ukrainian mass media from getting foreign investment?”
“There is something that has already happened: 1+1, for example, has foreign investment. But they are also subject to self-censorship.”
“Do you intend to finance any Ukrainian projects aimed at developing independent noncommercial media?”
“I think such projects are possible. It all depends on your initiative.”
