| Summary/Abstract |
The current direct confrontation between Russia and the Western
countries in Europe was not unexpected, but its possible consequences
are frightening. In this article the author suggests looking at the conflict
between Russia and the EU through the lens of Aleida Assmann’s concept
of “temporal breach” in the “modern time regime” (modernity). One of
the reasons for the escalation is that the conflicting sides have different
visions of the past, present and future, as well as of their place in the new world. The author also traces the development of modernization theory and
analyzes the modernization practices Russia and EU countries chose to use
after 1991. Russia has largely been practicing conservative modernization,
where the state is the main actor relying on certain public demand. The EU
countries have been implementing a multi-vector liberal modernization
model in line with the goals of post-industrial society, with a variety of state
and non-state actors involved and the focus put on the human rights value.
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