One can’t blame Russia for the fact that it establishes contacts with European political parties that support the policies of this country. So did the Soviet Union and the US all the time doing it.
This week it became known that the Austrian freedom party (FPÖ), the candidate Norbert Hofer (Norbert Hofer) recently almost won the presidential election, signed a formal cooperation agreement with Vladimir Putin party “United Russia”.
This is probably the first agreement of this kind between West-European far right party and Putin’s party, but the youth organizations of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) and front National (Front National, FN) is the relevant agreements on cooperation with the youth organization of United Russia.
In most European countries, such parties in whole or in part are concentrated around the-wing authoritarian Putin regime in Russia. The immediate reason is simple: the party is also authoritarian and profess-wing views.
The struggle for Western public opinion
The head of the National front of marine Le Pen (Marine Le Pen), which this spring can become the President of France, might say many good things about Putin. She even made it to the advocates of the “cultural heritage of European civilization.” Here we are talking about the purity of the nation, of Christianity and ethics.
In addition, Russia and the European right-wing parties oppose the EU and the USA. These points of contact also result a strong party of the extreme left wing of Europe to the Union against the liberal (or Western) world, although the degree of resistance to the European Union, it varies. It’s parties like Podemos (Podemos) Spain, SYRIZA (Syriza) in Greece and the Left party (Die Linke) in Germany.
For Russia, the party of the useful flank in the battle for public opinion in Western countries. A very critical situation arose in Germany. Public opinion polls show that most Germans support EU sanctions against Russia. Among the supporters of the AfD and the Left party three out of ten have more trust in Putin than Merkel. And the social democratic party SPD and the Bavarian right-wing party CSU support more or less the Russian position.
Pro-Russian voting
Many parties of the European Parliament, standing at the extreme positions, usually vote for the interests of Russia, for example, against the renewal of sanctions, the EU or the occupation of Crimea and intervention in Eastern Ukraine. They also vote against the cooperation agreements between the EU and Eastern European countries.
It should be noted, however, that the picture is not uniform: not all parties left of the social Democrats, or all on the extreme right supports Putin. The true Finns and the Danish people’s party are a curious exception. Some of the party is unclear positions. For example, the Dutch freedom Party of Geert Wilders (Geert Wilders) is often favoured Pro-Russian in the European Parliament, while the head of the party is not a supporter of Putin.
Neither extreme of the Norwegian parties is not a supporter of Putin in the official policy, but there are currents in the Socialist left party (SV), party Red (Rødt) and the progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet). The former head of the progress Party Carl I. Hagen (Carl I. Hagen) is an open-Putinists.
Envious Communists
Vladimir Putin may be glad in his office in the Kremlin. According to American intelligence, its hackers, in addition to everything else, contributed to the fact that it appeared probable the man in the White house, Donald trump.
Living veterans of the Communist party of the Soviet Union look at it with envy and admiration.
During the last cold war it was impossible to imagine that the White house could be a friend of the Soviet Union.
The Soviet Union had the power in Eastern Europe, but it is kept in tanks and bayonets. And now the Pro-Russian candidates win elections in such countries as the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Hungary and Moldova. For historical reasons, Poland is different to Russia, but ideologically and the current rulers in Warsaw close to Putin.
The crisis created by the West
The Soviet Union had influence in individual Communist and socialist parties of the West, but this influence was small and secretive. Communist party of Norway received money from Moscow, but always denied it and was, moreover, a microscopic party, except during the first years after the Second world war. But the current situation is in sharp contrast with what it was before. The head of the National front of marine Le Pen does not hide his admiration for Putin or what her party gets out monetary support.
Can you stand open-mouthed, or to moralize, but it does not help. Liberal world order is in deep crisis, the responsibility for which lies on him. The key words here are incorrect the third world war and major terrorist attacks, as a partial consequence of these wars, economic globalization and labor migration policy, which does not take into account sufficiently the concerns of ordinary people, etc.
The Western world is plagued by all forms of unrest. For many Russia clearly appears here as a national, Christian, white and stable Mirage, although the country in reality is in a deep economic and social crisis. Vladimir Putin, probably, understands what he’s doing, unlike the Western leaders.
A more flexible ideology
People in Europe and the United States is clearly starting to ponder whether it is important to preserve democracy, independent media, courts, and human rights.
Authoritarian-right nationalism in this case is also more efficient and flexible ideology compared to totalitarian communism, in particular because it can be combined with the elections and a certain degree of open debate. Countries such as Russia and Hungary, often also called “managed democracy.” Shall mean that the activities of the opposition and open debate is permissible only as long as they do not threaten the powers that be.
You can not blame the tiger because he had stripes. You can’t blame Vladimir Putin for what he is using the crisis of the West. The crisis on the conscience of the West, and by itself it will not work.
