The Russian Connection

An analysis on the spread of pro-Russian policies on the European far right

In 2009 Political Capital was among the first to point out Russia’s growing interest in East European far-right parties. At the end of 2013 a number of analysts noticed a similar development. This time around, Russia is involving itself with far-right parties of Western Europe. Currently, Russian influence in the affairs of the far right is a phenomenon seen all over Europe as a key risk for Euro-Atlantic integration at both the national and the Union level; especially in view of the upcoming 2014 European Parliamentary elections. Spearheaded by the French National Front; post-elections, farright parties might form a pro-Russian block in the European Parliament. Or even if they were unable to do so, the representation of such forces in the European Parliament is expected to rise. All this is happening in concurrence with a political and economic crisis that has put the European Union in a vulnerable state.

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