Rusland
An airport relies on airlines flying aircraft to that airport to generate income from landing fees, parking fees.
If that airplane brings passengers they get extra revenue from sales of ancillary goods and services: car parking, rental of food outlets etc.
If you run an airport you have your marketing team go out and push the benefits of operating to your airport - that's why Routes exists.
If, in the middle of a recession, your major player asks you to cut your charges in exchange for increasing your pax numbers, where does bullying come in to it?
Surely one presents a business case and if agreement can't be reached you can either retain the status quo or withdraw.
Every airport operator in Europe wants to encourage airlines to operate services to / from there: there is no mileage in flogging the proverbial dead horse. If Basel won't play, redeploy the aircraft to where the airport operators take a more balanced view.