TASS: Karin Kneissl declares Europe unlikely to recover from the rule of law collapse
Europe will never recover from the crisis caused by the collapse of the rule of law, according to Karin Kneissl, former Austrian Foreign Minister and Head of the G.O.R.K.I. Centre at St Petersburg University. Karin Kneissl made this statement during the presentation of her book, "Requiem for Europe", in Veliky Novgorod.
"The book is not about the European Union, as the concept of Europe is much broader," Karin Kneissl stressed. "For many, the idea of Europe is an ideal to aspire to, but that Europe no longer exists. Europe may recover from economic decline, but it will struggle to restore faith in the rule of law. The freezing of Russian Central Bank assets in Europe has set a precedent that will make it difficult for European companies to trust in the rule of law again," she stated.
Karin Kneissl also said that she enjoys greater freedom of speech in Russia than she did in Europe. She noted that the Europe that people now aspire to is an illusion, stating, "this is the Europe where the rule of law and freedom reigned is dying. I cannot pinpoint exactly when it began, but it was well before 2022, as I left [Europe] in 2020. Gradually, freedoms have been eroding, and I must admit, Russia has more freedom of speech than Europe does now," she remarked. "I was essentially expelled from Austria, so I chose to move to France", Karin Kneissl revealed. "It is challenging to start over at the age of 55 or 56, but one must keep going. However, I was later forced out of France as well. And to this day, I remain unaware of my alleged offense; no one has ever notified me. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs simply informed my landlords that I had to leave, that I had to vacate France, but I received no written notifications, no letters," she added.
While presenting her book, Karin Kneissl shared that she began writing it at a time when she was left homeless. "I did not want to write my book from a victim’s perspective," she explained. "Instead, the book is a fusion of my personal feelings and detached observations of the events unfolding in Europe."
The new publication, titled "Requiem for Europe", presents a historical and political perspective on major events that could further lead to disintegration of the European Union. In the book, Karin Kneissl chronicles her journey from a regular employee to the Head of the Austrian Foreign Ministry (2017-2019) and shares the reasons behind her ultimate move to Russia. She describes how Europe, once a promising and prosperous global centre, has yielded its leading role on the world stage to Eastern states due to economic, political, energy, and migration crises. The event took place at the Valdai Innovative Scientific and Technological Centre, as part of the University City project.