According to the commissioner, this is also a warning sign for the EU that its democracy must be strengthened. Perhaps we can start with the Hungarians and the Poles.
International studies have also shown that Russia supports far-right groups promoting white supremacy worldwide in order to divide societies, said Vera Jourová, the Commissioner for Democracy and Transparency of the European Commission, on Wednesday in Strasbourg, at the Wednesday plenary session of the European Parliament.
Jourová said in the debate on "Cooperation between the regime led by Russian President Vladimir Putin and far-right and separatist movements in Europe" that Russia trains and finances far-right groups that organize networks with each other. As an example, he mentioned the Russian Imperial Movement, classified as a terrorist group by the United States, which maintains good relations with the Nordic Resistance Movement, banned in Scandinavia.
The commissioner drew attention to the fact that before Russia attacked Ukraine, it had been trying to destabilize the country and stop its democratic development for years. "This is also a warning sign for the EU that our democracies must be strengthened," he emphasized. "The commission acts against right-wing extremism with several means, among others through Europol," he added.
Jourová also emphasized that party financing falls within the competence of the member states, however, the central bodies of the European Union have competence in the financing of European party families. He recalled that last November, the committee also proposed a revision of the EU rules dealing with the financing of European political parties and foundations. The purpose of updating the regulation is to facilitate European political parties' contact with national member parties and cross-border contact, to increase transparency, especially with regard to political advertisements and subsidies.
Russia gave hope and strength…
Ernő Schaller-Baross , the Fidesz EP representative, began his speech with a quote: "Russia gave hope and strength to all minorities in their struggle for their rights, and the Crimean referendum pointed out the duplicity of the United States and the EU, because peoples' self-determination, human and minority rights they only support it if their geopolitical interests so desire”.
"These statements were made by the Hungarian far-right a few years ago, when its members participated in the Crimean referendum as election observers and celebrated the annexation of the peninsula by Russia," the politician pointed out.
He said that the alliance made by Jobbik and the Hungarian left was enthusiastically supported by European left parties. Ernő Schaller-Baross added, "Donald Tusk, the prime ministerial candidate of Jobbik, took the same stage, involving the European People's Party in the opposition's election campaign."
MTI
Photo: EPA-EFE/JOHANNA GERON / POOL
