No, Spasiba

The Wall Street Journal ^ | 4/30/08 | Editors

[Dawnsblood]

So the Kremlin can't buy every retiring European leader. Romano Prodi, for one, won't soon be bunking with Gerhard Schröder in Moscow.

Vladimir Putin personally tried to tap the outgoing Italian Prime Minister to become chairman of South Stream, a new pipeline project by Russian gas monopolist Gazprom to link Russia to Europe. Mr. Prodi was "flattered" by the offer, his spokesman said, but won't be available.

While in government, Mr. Prodi backed the 50-50 joint venture between Gazprom and Italy's Eni to pump 30 billion cubic meters of Russian gas through South Stream, scheduled to go on line in 2013. Mr. Prodi seemed to recognize and rebuff the Kremlin's attempt to buy political influence. Not to mention have him personally benefit from a decision he took in office.

One former German Chancellor had no such qualms. Three years ago, after losing snap elections, Mr. Schröder jumped at a Putin offer to chair a Russian-German consortium, majority owned by Gazprom, that's building a new pipeline across the Baltic Sea. As Chancellor, he had pushed hard for Nord Stream. Once complete, this pipeline will bypass Poland and Ukraine and give Moscow greater leverage over these countries.

In his last tour as Prime Minister, Mr. Prodi spent a painful 20 months atop a fractious coalition. Earlier this month, the center-right returned to power in early elections. Mr. Prodi leaves politics, for good he says, with his dignity apparently beyond the reach of the Kremlin's wallet.

[Dawnsblood]

Good for him! at least one European leader isn't a total Putin vassal.

[ClaudiusI]

Shouldn’t that be nyet?

[higgmeister]

My first thought. Then I thought, well, someone has probably already said it.

[SeeSharp]

Romano Prodi is a red snapping marxist. He probably considers it beneath his dignity to work for a commercial enterprise (which Gasprom only barely qualifies as anyway).