TARTO There will be an avalanche of votes for the far-right when the Europeans will vote for the new EU Parliament in two months.
It suits the President of Russia to Vladimir Putinwhich has systematically created connections with several European extremist parties.
– Russia has long had a plan to break up Europe from within. It has infiltrated Europe’s democratic institutions and the media, says a professor at the University of Tartu Stefano Braghiroli.
Braghiroli has studied Putin’s power in Europe and now opens up in an interview with what you need to know about Putin’s influence.
– These political actors become, as it were, “Trojan horses” within European democracy.
A Trojan horse refers to a seemingly innocent act of the enemy, which turns out to be a crushing victory.
How does Putin operate in Europe?
Putin’s weapon has long been corruption. He also used it for years in Ukraine: bribing politicians and thus preparing the ground for an attack in February 2022. Now Putin is using the same tactics to weaken Europe from within.
The most recent example is the Russian propaganda and corruption network operating in Europe, which was revealed by the Czech and Belgian authorities a week ago. Behind the network is a close friend of Putin, a Ukrainian politician and oligarch accused of treason Viktor Medvedchuk.
Medvedchuk paid members of the European Parliament to promote Russia’s interests. British Broadcasting Corporation According to the BBC among the recipients of bribes were German, French, Polish, Dutch, Belgian and Hungarian MEPs.
But how has Putin managed to increase his influence in Europe at the same time that the West and Europe have unanimously condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine?
According to Braghirol, Putin skillfully addresses the far-right parties in particular. He emphasizes “traditional family values” and strong leadership. It seems to bite.
– Before Russia’s attack on Ukraine, there was even open admiration for Putin in the far right of the EU, Braghiroli states.
According to Braghirol, it is no secret that Russia has directly financed the representatives of these parties.
– Russian banks have given low-cost loans to, for example, the Italian Northern Alliance party, says Braghiroli.
– And funding always means dependence.
In addition to money, the ideological support offered by Russia is important, says Braghiroli. Putin emphasizes strong leadership and considers liberal democracy a threat.
Braghiroli points out that it is not just about the extreme right. Putin’s supporters can also be found on the extreme left.
– Radical parties of the extreme left in Europe are connected to Russia by a bond that dates back to the time of the Soviet Union. These parties are not able to break the bond and give up their connection with today’s Russia, says Braghiroli.
Where are Putin’s tentacles deepest?
Braghiroli lists five EU countries where support for Russia is strong. They are Italy, Greece, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria.
According to him, the most problematic in terms of European unity are Hungary and Slovakia, where Putin’s mouthpieces are leading the country.
President of Hungary Viktor Orbán among other things, congratulated Putin on his “re-election” after the so-called presidential elections in Russia.
In Slovakia, on the other hand, the pro-Russia party won the presidential election last Sunday Peter Pellegrini.
Among citizens, the strongest support for Russia can be found in Bulgaria, Greece and Cyprus, which have historical and, through Orthodoxy, religious ties to the country, says Braghiroli.
In Western Europe, supporters of Russia can be found mostly among those who support the extreme right.
The parties have been building relations with Russia for a long time.
– For example, the Italian and French right-wing parties still rely on this connection. It is not emphasized, but it has not been abandoned, says Bragghiroli.
And Putin is doing everything to ensure that, for example, in France and Germany, populist far-right parties win, the professor estimates.
Behind “war fatigue” is Putin
The countries’ pro-Russia attitude is revealed in their attitude to support Ukraine.
Right at the beginning of the war, many parties that previously had very good and close connections with Putin’s party distanced themselves or tried to hide their connection with Russia. According to Braghirol, this was done, for example, by the Alternative for Germany, France’s National Alliance and Italy’s Northern Alliance.
– They reformulated their “narrative” as if in terms of the national interest. And they hide the underlying motive, i.e. Russia’s interest, Braghiroli states.
Now, according to Braghirol, these parties justify the end of supporting Ukraine with the national interest of their own countries.
– This is how they veil the pursuit of Russia’s interests in the general “war fatigue”.
The European Council on Foreign Relations held the workshop in January the survey in 12 EU countries. According to it, Hungarians, Italians and Greeks believe in Russia’s victory the most.
For example, in Italy, which is influential in terms of the EU, 52 percent of respondents want their government to persuade Ukraine to agree to a compromise, while only 18 percent want the government to support Ukraine’s goal of regaining territories occupied by Russia.
The citizens of Poland, Portugal and Sweden were the strongest supporters of supporting Ukraine. Finland was not included in the survey.
To Finnish and Nordic ears, it even sounds incredible that the parties of the EU countries are meeting the Russian leadership and visiting Moscow.
According to Braghirol, the Nordic and Baltic countries differ from the countries of Southern and Western Europe in that their right-wing parties have no sympathy for Putin. Vice versa.
– The Baltic and Nordic countries know what the Soviet regime was like. It is not easy to spread pro-Russian narratives at these latitudes, Braghiroli states.
Risk of a pro-Russian U-turn
Head of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen has directly warnedthat the big right-wing populist parties in France, Germany and Holland are “Putin’s friends” and “want to destroy Europe”.
Braghiroli is confident that the far-right parties are not very good at creating a strong united group in the EU.
– But if the extreme right, the populists and the radical left get more than a third in the European elections, there is a risk of a U-turn in favor of Russia and the end of support for Ukraine, Braghiroli states.
What kind of person do Putin’s speeches resonate with?
In Western democracies, Putin’s speech appeals the most to those who feel that they are somehow “outside” the mainstream of society, says Braghiroli. These people do not trust state institutions, democracy and mainstream parties.
– In their eyes, Russia represents some kind of other Europe. One that they can identify with, says Braghiroli.
Braghiroli does not want to scare, but sees the growth of the extreme right and the radical left as a clear threat.
According to Braghirol, the best way to prevent the growth of extremists is simply to expose their connections to Russia.
– We cannot take legal action against these parties, but we can reveal the connections. How Russia uses them as pawns.