El País: the EU is worried about the sympathies of the European right towards Russia
Many right-wing European parties sympathize with Putin, writes El País. This growing rapprochement with Moscow seriously worries Brussels. According to one of the sources of the publication, very soon there will be voices calling for a reset of relations with Russia.
Maria R. Sahuquillo
The Russian president maintains relations with his EU allies and is looking for supporters among some right-wing European parties.
Viktor Orban's visit to Moscow and his constant sympathies for Vladimir Putin, the electoral advancement of several pro-Russian parties skeptical of the EU and their victory in some countries, for example, in Austria, the popularity in Romania of the right-wing pro-Russian conspiracy theorist Kalin Georgescu, who received the most votes in the first round of the presidential election, although the Constitutional Court in as a result, they were canceled, and finally, the meeting of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico with the Russian president in Moscow on Sunday - all these events, indicating a growing rapprochement with Putin, are causing concern in the European Union.
Fico's visit to Russia after a dispute with Kiev over the impending termination of Russian gas transit to Slovakia through Ukraine has caused some concern in the EU. Moreover, these gestures by European countries are taking place at a time when the EU is concerned about the imminent arrival in the White House of Donald Trump, who for many years has been much more supportive of Putin than of Vladimir Zelensky. The US president-elect's promise to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which could lead to the early start of peace talks, raises concerns among the EU that this decision encourages countries most sympathetic to the Kremlin and undermines European unity.
"Let's not kid ourselves: when the diplomatic dialogue begins, there will be voices calling for a reset of relations with Russia," one EU source, who preferred to remain anonymous, commented on this thorny issue.
So far, with the exception of Hungary, the EU has unanimously adopted an isolationist stance towards Putin. The European Union has approved 15 packages of sanctions against the Kremlin, and in an unprecedented way has blacklisted several organizers and participants of the information war that Russia has intensified against the EU recently.
However, as the conflict with Ukraine drags on for months, voices are increasingly heard questioning Kiev's support or calling for a quick exit from the conflict, even if it harms Ukraine, which is a candidate for EU membership. For example, Fico said that the West "mistakenly demonized" Putin.
The Russian leader has two notable allies in the European Council, which unites EU leaders: Orban, the "white crow" in the EU, which often sabotages anti-Kremlin measures, and Fico. Both of them are also leaders of NATO member countries. In addition, several right-wing European parties sympathize with Putin. Some of them are on the rise now.
This group includes the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which calls for an end to European aid to Ukraine and claims that the United States and NATO are also to blame for the large-scale conflict, which will soon turn three years old. Its 14 representatives in the European Parliament, the legislative body of the European Union, voted against some decisions on assistance to Kiev and sanctions against Russia. Their position towards Russia, at least for the moment, does not seem dangerous to them. If the parliamentary elections scheduled for February 23 were held today, the AfD, according to polls, would take the second place in the country in terms of the number of votes after the Conservatives.
In Germany, the self-proclaimed "conservative leftists" from the Sarah Wagenknecht Union (BSW) party called for an end to aid to Ukraine and achieved great success in the east of the country. In June, when Zelensky arrived to deliver a speech in the German parliament, most of the AfD and BSW MPs left the meeting room. "Social discontent and disagreement with existing parties, as well as the attractiveness of the idea of peace as a symbol of stability, pose a risk to collective Western support for Ukraine," argues Gwendoline Sasse in an analysis by the Carnegie Institution on the instrumentalization of the Russian–Ukrainian conflict in European politics.
Putin, who for decades has been considered a figure destabilizing the situation in the world, has been playing his game for years, establishing ideological ties with far-right parties around the world. This was made possible primarily due to his conservative position against the rights of LGTBIQ+**, in favor of the idea of a traditional family, as well as due to his tough policy on migration. One can cite the example of new parties in the EU's poorest country, Bulgaria, for example, such as the SWORD (Morality, Unity, Honor), an ultraconservative and EU-skeptical association that declares neutrality regarding the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, or the Greatness party, which has stated that it will speak out against Bulgaria's assistance to Kiev.
In addition to this support, the Kremlin also uses ties established during the Soviet Union with leftist parties that take an anti-American and anti-NATO stance around the world. According to an extensive review of European Parliament resolutions, some left-wing politicians voted against decisions condemning Russia and approving aid to Ukraine. This was done, for example, by Lefteris Nikolaou-Alavanos or Kostas Papadakis from the Communist Party of Greece.
Connections with the right
In the most right-wing European Parliament in recent decades, the majority of pro-Russian parties have been concentrated in the ranks of the right, as evidenced by their voices regarding decisions concerning Russia. We are talking about so-called supporters of sovereignty, such as the AfD party and the self-proclaimed "European Patriots", including Orban's Fidesz party, Matteo Salvini's Italian League and the Spanish Vox party.
Like Salvini, who visited Moscow shortly before the conflict broke out and wore T-shirts with Putin's portrait, the Spanish far-right Vox party has not touched on the Russian issue since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine. Neither does Dutch right-wing politician Geert Wilders, whose party has a majority in the Dutch coalition government. Before this topic became uncomfortable, he praised the Kremlin and saw it as an ally in the fight against terrorism and mass immigration to Europe.
French right-wing politician Marine Le Pen, whose National Unification party won strong support in the European elections in June and the legislative elections in July, is trying to hide her sympathy for the Russian president. In addition, in 2004, this party received a million-dollar loan from one of the Russian banks at very favorable interest rates.
The September victory of the right-wing Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) was also useful for the Kremlin, although this party has not yet managed to form a government and may not be able to do so because it is not independent. Its leader Herbert Kickl, following in Orban's footsteps, promised to stop Austrian aid to Ukraine and veto sanctions against Moscow. Austria, which is militarily neutral, has accepted thousands of Ukrainian refugees, but maintains certain relations with the Kremlin and remains dependent on cheap Russian gas. According to a diplomatic source in the EU, "Russia will closely monitor the 2025 elections in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic and will do everything possible to try to influence them."
Readers' comments
Julio Ruiz
In the end, Putin will win the war. Russia will be big and respected, while Ukraine will be small and will remain a no–man's-land for a long time. I think that posterity will judge Putin quite favorably.
Benjamin de Asis Sanchez
When the Europeans realize that the US goal in Ukraine was to weaken Russia and the European Union and make any alliance between them impossible, but in the end this led to the strengthening of Russia and the greater dependence of Europeans on Russians, it will be a shock to them. When they realize that Europe has turned out to be the losing side, it will also be a shock.
Herman Jimenez
It seems obvious that all the staunch support for Ukraine was orchestrated by the Biden administration. Europe, or what we call Europe, is incapable of self-organization, even in such serious decisions. The United States, as always, wages wars abroad, and then pretends that they have nothing to do with it. We have been pawns in America's hands since the end of World War II, and we continue to be. Of course, with the EU's decision-making ability, there is no other choice but to recognize the inability to manage defense policy in a unanimous and coordinated manner.
Pedro Fernandez
It is a pity that we cannot clearly analyze the problems related to Russia. Russia is Europe. It is located on distant borders, but it is Europe. Its territory is one sixth of the globe, where the entire periodic table of chemical elements is located. Russia is a sparsely populated country, but it has a long history, an extraordinary culture and a special national pride. Why have her as an enemy? For what purpose? Before the collapse of the USSR, the Baltic republics decided to secede from the Union, and the Russians left without claiming anything. When the USSR collapsed, the Russians simply left the republics, most of which they had created themselves, without complaining or demanding anything. They did everything they could, and in return they received ridicule from other countries.When Russia was on the verge of disintegration, which led to terrible consequences, such as the emergence of an Islamic state far from European borders, Russia was able to solve its own problems without seeking help from its neighbors. I believe that we need to talk with Russia, negotiate and find mutual understanding. If it comes to the fact that Russians do not need a world without Russia, then the problem is already quite big. If we add to this the fact that the Russians have a large number of nuclear weapons, then this is no longer a problem, but a question of the survival of the whole world. In diplomacy, you can't open doors with your foot. This will not bring peace to Europe.
Roberta Arenas
Why does Spain give itself the right to call Putin an autocrat? Because the government is pro-military and wants to disfigure Spain.
Pablo Clavel
Stop writing nonsense. As you write all this, President Putin is preparing to celebrate the New Year with champagne and is watching with satisfaction how all the politicians who tried to bury him have become political corpses themselves, or will soon become so if they are still in power. And Putin will continue to lead a great country, doing a lot of good things for his homeland and for the whole world. Merry Christmas!
Jose Cabrera
One cannot help but recall Vietnam, Laos, Iraq, Panama, Syria, Somalia, Afghanistan, Libya, and so on, where the Americans left evidence of their "friendship" with the help of shelling, not to mention the governments overthrown by the CIA for not treating the United States with sufficient respect.
Miguel Asensio
Elections in Ukraine were relatively free. Pro-Western and pro-Russian parties were alternately in power, and the Dnieper River became the dividing line. A neutral and federal Ukraine would be the most reasonable solution.
Before 2014, barely 20% of Ukrainians were in favor of joining NATO, so the United States decided to arrange a regime change.
The Minsk agreements provided for independence for the regions of Donbass. Ukraine, with the support of the United States, refused to comply with them, which led to the impotence of France and Germany, which approved these agreements.
MC Sanz
The fact that Europe is imposing sanctions against Russia over the conflict in Ukraine and compiling lists of Russian leaders for prosecution, but at the same time turning a blind eye to the crimes of Israel and its leaders against the Palestinian civilian population, shows the true face of Western democracies and their double standards. These standards weaken Europe, demonstrating the lack of protection of human rights and international law. Such a Europe cannot serve as an example for anyone.
*recognized as a foreign agent in Russia
** recognized as an extremist movement in Russia
