Since 2022, several Eastern European countries have witnessed the rise of nationalist, conservative, and Eurosceptic political forces. They also share a common goal: to end support for Ukraine and to pursue a policy of compromise with the Russian government. This rise is fueled by the impoverishment of Eastern European populations and a nostalgia for power, which are being exploited by the Russian government to rebuild or strengthen its dominance over what it considers its "backyard" in Eastern Europe.
Robert Fico in Slovakia with the Slovak National Party and Andrej Babish with the ANO party in the Czech Republic have recently joined the vast network of European leaders friendly to the Russian dictator, a network already comprised of, among others, Viktor Orbán's Hungary, the National Rally (RN) in France, the Freedom Party (FPÖ) in Austria, and the AfD in Germany.
It must be said that the political system built by Putin over the past 23 years has much to offer the conservative movement: an authoritarian and police state, a tightly controlled economy and labor unions, a religious and resolutely anti-progressive moral order. Blending religious traditionalism, a rejection of "liberal" values, and a desire to re-establish or maintain its dominance over its Soviet-era sphere of influence, the Russian government has worked for years to assimilate the most radical far-right political forces into its territory to avoid any opposition on its right wing[1]. Putin, and the ruling clan he embodies, has also been able to draw on neo-Eurasianist doctrine, notably championed by Alexander Dugin, a major thinker of contemporary Russian ultra-nationalism[2]. He has therefore worked for over a decade to welcome, foster, and build political alliances with far-right political actors from both Eastern and Western Europe.[3]
Cloning Orbán's Hungary
A veritable Trojan horse of Russian influence in the heart of Europe, Viktor Orbán has been in power in Hungary since 2010. He has methodically destroyed the country's democratic institutions, silenced the opposition, and taken control of the media, either directly or through the support of fascist groups. He advocates a radical, homophobic, and xenophobic social conservatism[4]. He is an unconditional ally of Vladimir Putin, from whom his country continues to buy hydrocarbons and refuses to implement European sanctions.
Putin's government seeks to replicate this model by all means, as was revealed during the 2024 Romanian election, where intelligence services uncovered multiple instances of interference (manipulation of public opinion via social media, hacking, and even possible covert funding) to favor Colin Georgescu, a far-right candidate with a pro-Russian stance. The revelation of this interference led the Romanian state to suspend the elections.
Another far-right candidate, George Simion, head of the Alliance for Romanian Unity (AUR) party, reached the second round of the presidential elections, obtaining over 46% of the vote. Although more moderate, he advocated a policy of neutrality towards the Russian government. In Bulgaria, the Vazrajdane ("Renaissance") party defended this line. This party also played a central role in the popular mobilizations against the introduction of the euro in May 2025, which led to the fall of the government. These demonstrations were notably accompanied by a flood of "fake news" aimed at a vulnerable population, turning them against support for Ukraine and Europe[5].
And when it is not through elections, attempts at destabilization can be more profound, as in Moldova, a country already divided by a Russian-backed secessionist region, Transnistria, and where, in 2023, the incumbent president revealed suspicions of a coup plot. There too, a pro-Russian party, the Sor party, was expected to play a central role[6].
These various attempts are part of a comprehensive plan by the Russian government whose objectives are both to paralyze European institutions by fostering an opposition of leaders with illiberal leanings and opposed to any collective deliberation, to ensure the continuation of its hydrocarbon exports, and, at the same time, to exploit the divisions to extend its influence and consolidate its imperial dominance.
The Reactionary International Alliance
While they may be more or less discreet about their support for this project, Western European nationalists subscribe to the vision advocated by Putin. They wish to dismantle European "progressive" institutions and establish an anti-democratic order, free from any trace of popular resistance. In this, they are increasingly openly supported by Western European capitalists, just as Putin and Orbán have significant segments of their national bourgeoisies behind them, closely associated with the exercise of power, such as Konstantin Malofeev in Russia. Whether it be the National Rally in France or the AfD in Germany, all have benefited from Russian support in recent years and know they will have to reciprocate if they come to power[7].
It is certain that the Russian government desires the emergence of the largest possible illiberal bloc in Europe, made up of as many vassal states as possible. It would be wrong, however, to reduce the reactionary wave to a simple hybrid warfare operation led by Putin. A pro-Western, Atlanticist, and even Russophobic far right also exists in Europe, notably in Poland and Italy under Meloni's leadership. But behind the fault lines, of which the conflict in Ukraine is the epicenter, all these forces agree on the essentials: the maintenance of capitalist domination and a hatred of any egalitarian aspirations.
The Trump movement's grip on the United States gives a new dimension to this agreement: it too desires the dismantling of the EU in favor of North American imperialism. And it does not hesitate to favor Putin and his allies to achieve this: it notably authorized Hungary to deviate from Western sanctions on Russian oil, the main source of funding for the war in Ukraine.
It is also crucial to remember that what provides a social foundation for all these reactionary empires is precisely the despair into which entire segments of the proletariat in Eastern European countries have been plunged by the brutal liberalization policies and impoverishment perpetrated by Western "liberals" in these countries. Today, the task of revolutionary and socialist movements is therefore not to serve as a lifeline for a Western liberal model itself succumbing to militarization and authoritarianism, but to demonstrate genuine internationalism among peoples in the face of imperialisms that compete to dominate, yet are united in their crushing of us.
UCL Eastern Europe Working Group
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[1]See "Russia: Well-Ordered Denazification Begins with Putin," Alternative libertaire no. 329, July-August 2022. https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?Russie-Denazification-bien-ordonnee-commence-par-Poutine
[2]On the career of Alexander Dugin: "From National Bolshevism to Eurasianism, Who Is Alexander Dugin Really?" "From National Bolshevism to Eurasia: Who Is Really Alexander Dugin?" The Conversation, September 1, 2022. https://theconversation.com/du-national-bolchevisme-a-leurasisme-qui-est-vraiment-alexandre-douguine-189515
[3]"The European Adventures of the Far Right (2)," La Horde, July 9, 2015. https://lahorde.info/les-aventures-europeennes-de-lextreme-droite-2
[4]"Hungary: Construction of a Fascist State," Alternative libertaire no. 254, October 2015. https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?Hongrie-Construction-d-un-Etat-fasciste
[5]"In Bulgaria, Revolt Against Imminent Entry into the Eurozone," France 24, May 31, 2025. https://www.france24.com/fr/info-en-continu/20250531-en-bulgarie-fronde-contre-une-entr%C3%A9e-imminente-dans-la-zone-eur
[6]See the Wikipedia page for the Sor party. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C8%98or_Party
[7]"Rise of the far right in Europe: Russia hopes for a 'slow victory'," France 24, June 14, 2024. https://www.france24.com/fr/%C3%A9missions/vu-de-russie/20240614-mont%C3%A9e-des-extr%C3%AAmes-droite
https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?La-Russie-et-l-extreme-droite-europeenne-une-cause-commune
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