Daily Journal:

I believe that PACE’s assessment of the State Duma elections is of key importance for Russia. I'd like it to be as tough as possible. Europeans have the opportunity to influence Putin's Russia without fear that Putin will break with Europe. I am sure that Putin’s leadership will not break with Europe - I am absolutely sure of this. They simply scare: “If you put too much pressure on us, we will then “leave.” They won't go anywhere. They are all living people - they all have huge accounts in European banks, and for them to break with Europe is simply the end of life.
It is clear that Europe has the opportunity to speak out on the situation in Russia, and, I believe, they are obliged to do so. We know that some European leaders seem to be afraid to “scare” Putin with too harsh assessments - on pain of losing gas and oil. Nothing will happen. They are obliged to tell the truth. Including about the Russian elections.
And what is important here is not just harsh language, but specific proposals for control over future presidential elections. I would like international human rights organizations, together with Russian human rights activists (first of all, we are talking about “GOLOS” - they specialize in monitoring elections, and we actively support them in this) to develop a system that allows for effective monitoring of elections. In advance, together with PACE, it is necessary to develop a clear control program, obtain the consent of the Russian authorities, so that there is an order: by such and such an hour, provide copies of protocols from polling stations, so that they are not slowed down, not hidden, or taken to territorial election commissions (TECs) in a roundabout way. For such and such - copies from TICs. That is, the entire control procedure needs to be prescribed in advance and approved together with PACE.

Of course, PACE cannot send an observer to every polling station – but we can. Despite the fact that independent observers are not allowed to participate in our elections, I think at least one so-called “our” candidate will be registered and he will send observers to the polling stations. Moreover, the control procedure must be prescribed jointly with the Central Election Commission.
And I am sure that the sharper the wording today, the sooner we will wait for concrete proposals from PACE on organizing control over the future presidential elections in Russia.