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. A graph showing the number of MEPs that voted against the resolution, as well as the percent of those that voted against it from the total number of MEPs, is below.
On a map, the situation looks like this:
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.