Todorov exclusively for The Geopost: Russia is trying to influence the results of the European Parliament elections

Interview by Ukrainian journalist Iryna Synelnyk with Ihor Todorov, professor at the National University of Uzhhorod, doctor of history and Ukrainian expert on European and Euro-Atlantic integration.

On June 6 and 9, elections to the European Parliament were held in 27 countries of the European Union. EU citizens voted for 720 MEPs to represent their interests for the next five years.

During the elections, Russia tried to strengthen its influence in European countries. Ihor Todorov, professor at the National University of Uzhhorod, doctor of history and Ukrainian expert on European and Euro-Atlantic integration, said this in an interview.

According to him, Russian influence is exerted in different ways. Firstly, the Russian secret services skillfully manipulate the principles that form the basis of European democracy. “It seems that all this is happening openly, but it can be assumed that some slogans, politicians and their activities are ‘in the eye’ of Russia,” says Todorov.

“German politician Sara Wagenknecht, for example, is running a campaign with the slogan ‘War or peace?”, which is about the need to end the war and make peace. “But will the end of the war be a victory by Russian standards?” European democracy?” – emphasizes the professor from Ukraine.

Of course, Russian influence is not limited to legal means. It is about bribery and political pressure. Recently, says Todorov, candidates for parliament, for example, have been beaten more and more frequently. These are not hooligan actions, but very similar methods of exerting influence to those once used in Ukraine. It is easy to guess where the roots of undue influence lie.

Incidentally, a scandal broke in Germany in March because Petr Bystron, member of the Bundestag for Alternative for Germany and candidate for the European Parliament, had received money from an influential pro-Russian network that had previously been uncovered by the secret services of European countries. At the center of the scandal is the pro-Russian website Voice of Europe, whose activities are linked to the Ukrainian oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk. Hundreds of thousands of euros were paid to politicians as part of the journalistic investigations.

Of course, these revelations influence voters’ decisions. But is it even possible to prove a connection between the actions of certain politicians and bribery from the Russian Federation? In many cases, the Russian special services are acting in accordance with the possibilities offered by the democratic system. And that is a threat. After all, peace-loving slogans can be supported with Russian money. Sometimes the love of peace is directly related to the love of money, Todorov said.

The historian points out that taking into account the trends of political development in European countries, including the impact of the war in Ukraine, experts predict a shift towards right-wing and even far-right political parties.

“In my opinion, populist and far-right parties can get more votes, but it is unlikely that their role in the work of the European Parliament will be decisive in the new session. Most likely, Ukraine will not lose the support of broad Europeans, but.” “The balance of power in the European Parliament could change. Forces for which support for Ukraine is not a priority could get more votes in the new European Parliament,” he believes.

At the same time, Todorov does not believe that the European Parliament will approve the decision to enlarge the EU to include Ukraine and the countries of the Western Balkans in the new session.

According to the researcher, while significant changes have taken place in Ukraine on the road to European integration, everyone remembers that it was the Great War that pushed the Europeans to grant Ukraine the status of a candidate country for the EU. In a way, it was an emotional decision in a certain geopolitical situation. Therefore, it is simply impossible to fully predict the development of the geopolitical framework and the resulting consequences.

“I am not optimistic on this issue and believe that the decision on EU enlargement is not to be expected at all. And in my view, it is unlikely that EU enlargement will take place in the foreseeable future.” “The candidate countries of the Western Balkans, including Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia, are very careful to adhere to the Copenhagen criteria,” recalls the professor from Ukraine The most important criteria include the rule of law, respect for human rights and economic stability./The Geopost/