10 June 2015

State of EU-Russia relations: A brief analysis of the EP vote

On 10 June 2015, the European Parliament adopted a resolution "on the state of EU-Russia relations". It is a strong resolution that condemns the illegal annexation of Crimea and Russia's war against Ukraine, as well as reminding that Russia is "directly or indirectly, involved in a number of 'frozen conflicts' in its neighbourhood – in Transnistria, South Ossetia, Abkhasia and Nagorno Karabakh".

Importantly, the resolution states that "at this point Russia [...] can no longer be treated as, or considered, a ‘strategic partner’".

In the context of this blog, I am happy to say that the European Parliament raises concerns directly related to the themes regularly discussed here, namely the cooperation between Putin's Russia and the Western far right:
Is deeply concerned at the ever more intensive contacts and cooperation, tolerated by the Russian leadership, between European populist, fascist and extreme right-wing parties on the one hand and nationalist groups in Russia on the other; recognises that this represents a danger to democratic values and the rule of law in the EU; calls in this connection on the EU institutions and Member States to take action against this threat of an emerging ‘Nationalist International’;
Is deeply concerned with Russia´s support for and financing of radical and extremist parties in the EU Member States; considers a recent meeting in St Petersburg of the far right parties an insult to the memory of millions of Russians who sacrificed their lives to save the world from Nazism;
As could be expected and was demonstrated before, the overwhelming majority of the votes against the resolution has come from the far right, eurosceptic and (far) left parties. Here is the full list of MEPs who gave voted against the resolution.


Country/MEP
Party
Ideological orientation
Austria


Barbara KAPPEL
FPÖ
radical right-wing populism
Georg MAYER
FPÖ
radical right-wing populism
Franz OBERMAYR
FPÖ
radical right-wing populism
Harald VILIMSKY
FPÖ
radical right-wing populism



Bulgaria


Iliana IOTOVA
Bulgarian Socialist Party
socialism
Momchil NEKOV
Bulgarian Socialist Party
socialism
Georgi PIRINSKI
Bulgarian Socialist Party
socialism



Cyprus


Takis HADJIGEORGIOU
Progressive Party of Working People - Left - New Forces
communism
Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS
Progressive Party of Working People - Left - New Forces
communism



Czech Republic


Jan KELLER
Česká strana sociálně demokratická
social democracy
Kateřina KONEČNÁ
Komunistická strana Čech a Moravy
communism
Petr MACH
Strana svobodných občanů
euroscepticism
Jiří MAŠTÁLKA
Komunistická strana Čech a Moravy
communism
Miloslav RANSDORF
Komunistická strana Čech a Moravy
communism



Denmark


Rina Ronja KARI
Folkebevægelsen mod EU
euroscepticism



Estonia


Yana TOOM
Eesti Keskerakond
social liberalism



France


Louis ALIOT
Front national
radical right-wing populism
Marie-Christine ARNAUTU
Front national
radical right-wing populism
Nicolas BAY
Front national
radical right-wing populism
Joëlle BERGERON
Independent
Independent
Dominique BILDE
Front national
radical right-wing populism
Marie-Christine BOUTONNET
Front national
radical right-wing populism
Steeve BRIOIS
Front national
radical right-wing populism
Aymeric CHAUPRADE
Front national
radical right-wing populism
Mireille D'ORNANO
Front national
radical right-wing populism
Edouard FERRAND
Front national
radical right-wing populism
Sylvie GODDYN
Front national
radical right-wing populism
Bruno GOLLNISCH
Front national
radical right-wing populism
Jean-François JALKH
Front national
radical right-wing populism
Patrick LE HYARIC
Front de Gauche
communism
Marine LE PEN
Front national
radical right-wing populism
Gilles LEBRETON
Souveraineté, Indépendance et Libertés
euroscepticism
Philippe LOISEAU
Front national
radical right-wing populism
Dominique MARTIN
Front national
radical right-wing populism
Bernard MONOT
Front national
radical right-wing populism
Sophie MONTEL
Front national
radical right-wing populism
Jean-Luc MÉLENCHON
Front de Gauche
communism
Joëlle MÉLIN
Front national
radical right-wing populism
Younous OMARJEE
L'union pour les Outremer
left-wing radicalism
Florian PHILIPPOT
Front national
radical right-wing populism
Jean-Luc SCHAFFHAUSER
Rassemblement bleu Marine
radical right-wing populism
Mylène TROSZCZYNSKI
Front national
radical right-wing populism
Marie-Christine VERGIAT
Front de Gauche
communism



Germany


Fabio DE MASI
Die Linke
socialism
Cornelia ERNST
Die Linke
socialism
Thomas HÄNDEL
Die Linke
socialism
Sabine LÖSING
Die Linke
socialism
Martina MICHELS
Die Linke
socialism
Marcus PRETZELL
Alternative für Deutschland
euroscepticism
Helmut SCHOLZ
Die Linke
socialism
Udo VOIGT
Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands
neo-Nazism
Beatrix von STORCH
Alternative für Deutschland
euroscepticism
Hermann WINKLER
Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands
conservatism
Gabriele ZIMMER
Die Linke
socialism



Greece


Kostas CHRYSOGONOS
Coalition of the Radical Left
left-wing radicalism
Georgios EPITIDEIOS
Popular Association – Golden Dawn
neo-Nazism
Emmanouil GLEZOS
Coalition of the Radical Left
left-wing radicalism
Stelios KOULOGLOU
Coalition of the Radical Left
left-wing radicalism
Kostadinka KUNEVA
Coalition of the Radical Left
left-wing radicalism
Notis MARIAS
Independent Greeks
radical right-wing populism
Konstantinos PAPADAKIS
Communist Party of Greece
communism
Dimitrios PAPADIMOULIS
Coalition of the Radical Left
left-wing radicalism
Sofia SAKORAFA
Coalition of the Radical Left
left-wing radicalism
Eleftherios SYNADINOS
Popular Association – Golden Dawn
neo-Nazism
Sotirios ZARIANOPOULOS
Communist Party of Greece
communism



Hungary


Zoltán BALCZÓ
Jobbik
radical right-wing populism
Béla KOVÁCS
Jobbik
radical right-wing populism
Krisztina MORVAI
Jobbik
radical right-wing populism



Ireland


Luke Ming FLANAGAN
Independent
Independent



Italy


Isabella ADINOLFI
Movimento 5 Stelle
euroscepticism
Marco AFFRONTE
Movimento 5 Stelle
euroscepticism
Laura AGEA
Movimento 5 Stelle
euroscepticism
Daniela AIUTO
Movimento 5 Stelle
euroscepticism
Tiziana BEGHIN
Movimento 5 Stelle
euroscepticism
Mara BIZZOTTO
Lega Nord
radical right-wing populism
Mario BORGHEZIO
Lega Nord
radical right-wing populism
Gianluca BUONANNO
Lega Nord
radical right-wing populism
Fabio Massimo CASTALDO
Movimento 5 Stelle
euroscepticism
Ignazio CORRAO
Movimento 5 Stelle
euroscepticism
Rosa D'AMATO
Movimento 5 Stelle
euroscepticism
Eleonora EVI
Movimento 5 Stelle
euroscepticism
Laura FERRARA
Movimento 5 Stelle
euroscepticism
Lorenzo FONTANA
Lega Nord
radical right-wing populism
Eleonora FORENZA
Lista Tsipras-L'Altra Europa
social democracy
Curzio MALTESE
Lista Tsipras-L'Altra Europa
social democracy
Piernicola PEDICINI
Movimento 5 Stelle
euroscepticism
Matteo SALVINI
Lega Nord
radical right-wing populism
Remo SERNAGIOTTO
Forza Italia
conservatism
Barbara SPINELLI
Lista Tsipras-L'Altra Europa
social democracy
Dario TAMBURRANO
Movimento 5 Stelle
euroscepticism
Marco VALLI
Movimento 5 Stelle
euroscepticism
Marco ZANNI
Movimento 5 Stelle
euroscepticism
Marco ZULLO
Movimento 5 Stelle
euroscepticism



Latvia


Andrejs MAMIKINS
"Saskaņa" sociāldemokrātiskā partija
social democracy
Tatjana ŽDANOKA
Latvijas Krievu savienība
social democracy



Netherlands


Dennis de JONG
Socialistische Partij
social democracy
Vicky MAEIJER
Partij voor de Vrijheid
right-wing populism
Anne-Marie MINEUR
Socialistische Partij
social democracy
Olaf STUGER
Partij voor de Vrijheid
right-wing populism



Poland


Robert Jarosław IWASZKIEWICZ
Nowa Prawica-Janusza Korwin-Mikke
euroscepticism
Janusz KORWIN-MIKKE
Nowa Prawica-Janusza Korwin-Mikke
euroscepticism
Michał MARUSIK
Nowa Prawica-Janusza Korwin-Mikke
euroscepticism
Stanisław ŻÓŁTEK
Nowa Prawica-Janusza Korwin-Mikke
euroscepticism



Portugal


João FERREIRA
Coligação Democrática Unitária
left-wing radicalism



Spain


Marina ALBIOL GUZMÁN
Izquierda Unida
communism
Javier COUSO PERMUY
Izquierda Unida
communism
Tania GONZÁLEZ PEÑAS
Podemos
socialism
Pablo IGLESIAS
Podemos
socialism
Paloma LÓPEZ BERMEJO
Izquierda Unida
communism
Lola SÁNCHEZ CALDENTEY
Podemos
socialism
Estefanía TORRES MARTÍNEZ
Podemos
socialism
Miguel URBÁN CRESPO
Podemos
socialism
Ángela VALLINA
Izquierda Unida
communism



United Kingdom


William (The Earl of) DARTMOUTH
UKIP
euroscepticism
John Stuart AGNEW
UKIP
euroscepticism
Tim AKER
UKIP
euroscepticism
Jonathan ARNOTT
UKIP
euroscepticism
Janice ATKINSON
UKIP
euroscepticism
Gerard BATTEN
UKIP
euroscepticism
Louise BOURS
UKIP
euroscepticism
James CARVER
UKIP
euroscepticism
David COBURN
UKIP
euroscepticism
Jane COLLINS
UKIP
euroscepticism
Bill ETHERIDGE
UKIP
euroscepticism
Nigel FARAGE
UKIP
euroscepticism
Raymond FINCH
UKIP
euroscepticism
Nathan GILL
UKIP
euroscepticism
Roger HELMER
UKIP
euroscepticism
Mike HOOKEM
UKIP
euroscepticism
Diane JAMES
UKIP
euroscepticism
Paul NUTTALL
UKIP
euroscepticism
Patrick O'FLYNN
UKIP
euroscepticism
Julia REID
UKIP
euroscepticism
Jill SEYMOUR
UKIP
euroscepticism
Steven WOOLFE
UKIP
euroscepticism


The vote, however, has brought some surprises too.

1. Belgian MEP Gerolf ANNEMANS from the far right Vlaams Belang abstained, although he used to vote against the resolutions critical of Russia's actions.

2. MEPs from the far right Sweden Democrats party, Peter LUNDGREN and Kristina WINBERG, abstained and, thus, rebelled against their Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy Group that voted against the resolution.

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3 comments:

  1. For anyone who missed it:

    'Left' and far right also teamed up for 'solidarity' conferences in Donetsk and Alchevsk last month:

    http://www.workersliberty.org/node/25187

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow. I always thought Podemos was a bit flaky...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Спасибо вам за вашу работу.

    ReplyDelete

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