Monday, April 15, 2024

Why does the European far right accept Russian support?

Russian funding of far-right nationalist parties in Europe has been a thing for a while (gift link). But I'm still struck by how odd it is. I get why Russia would do it. The far right parties can be really destabilizing for Europe and they tend to be against stuff that Russia doesn't like, like aid to Ukraine. But the confusing thing is why the far right would be so willing to accept Russian funding.

If you were a far right German nationalist, you think that Germany and/or the German people are the best, and generally want Germany to stand on its own too feet. Doesn't accepting funding from foreigners completely undermine that? I get why maybe they admire Putin (or at least the air-brushed version of Putin that he projects, which polishes away all of his many shortcomings and failures) and maybe would want to emulate a Putin-like nationalist regime in their own country. But accepting direct support from Putin just seems to undermine the most basic thing that these right-wingers supposedly stand for.