Strong performance of far-right parties at European elections to add pressure on elites towards partnership with Russia - view

MOSCOW, May 27 (Itar-Tass) - The results of elections to the European Parliament, demonstrating strong performance of far-right parties, reveal the revanche (revenge) of national sovereignties over Brussels’ bureaucracy and over the US’ excessive influence, Head of the State Duma’s international affairs committee Alexei Pushkov says. “The success of those parties means additional pressure on the European traditional elites so that they considered more the moods towards the national sovereignty, towards partnership with Russia and towards lower dependence from the US,” he told Itar-Tass. The MP says the new-wave parties will organise at the European Parliament a common faction, which “though unable to influence the Parliament’s decisions, still will be able to develop major opposition to the declarations and decisions there, and will also offer alternative policies for Europe,” including those related to Russia. “All the new parties, representing the new right wave, share a rather sceptical attitude towards the American influence on Europe. They believe the Europeans are sacrificing too much for the alliance with the United States and obey by their rules too often. Leaders of those parties say the EU is playing a role of the US’ junior partner, which could not be satisfactory for supporters of those parties of the new wave,” Pushkov said. Most of those parties take negatively the sanctions against Russia, he continued. “Europe does not need those sanctions. They may affect greatly the economic recovery of the European countries. They consider partnership with Russia as a natural contrast to the US’ excessive pressure.” The past elections “have fixed a major gap between a big part of the public opinion and the current political systems in certain European countries.” “Thus, we can see the protest parties, which however reflect interests of a major part of the electorate, have managed to gain bigger support than the ruling and traditional parties in many countries. Including the UK, France, Greece and Spain,” he said. “We can see formation of a big segment of the public opinion among the European countries, which choose to be dependent on the European Union. It is a revanche. Prevailing are the moods towards national sovereignty rather than Brussels’ supranational bureaucracy,” the parliamentarian said in conclusion. Learn more on itar-tass.com