Russia's challenge to liberal order: european far-right parties. ; DESAFIO DA RÚSSIA A ORDEM LIBERAL: PARTIDOS EUROPEUS DA EXTREMA DIREITA

Abstract

Dissertação de Mestrado em Relações Internacionais apresentada à Faculdade de Economia ; The referendum in Crimea (Ukraine), in March 2014, shows that many representatives of far-right political parties were invited by the Russian government to participate as electoral observers of this referendum, as well as, the acknowledgment of the far-right party Front Nacional in France which received financial assistance from Moscow. We could see that Russian connections with these parties have become stronger and more evident. Considering the last electoral success of these parties in European and national elections, furthermore, taking into account that one of Russia's idea of soft power is weaponizing money, culture, and ideas incorporated in the support of far-right parties in Europe. Therefore, this represented serious challenges to the European Union and to the liberal order. Bearing in mind that the liberal order is the main pillar of today's Western society we structured our dissertation around the question: How is the European liberal order affected by Russia's support for European far-right political parties? Using English School lenses to better understand the concepts of international order, society, values, standards of morality and behavior, we analyzed at how the European liberal order is constituted. Then we looked at how the far-right parties in Europe became a challenge to the European liberal order. Also, we considered how Russia was able to connect and support these parties, and which instruments and narratives it was used to achieve this connection. Questioning whether the Russian strategy to connect with far-right parties helped their empowerment in today's international context of tension and fear or not, and why many far-right parties of Europe looked for support from Russia, we analyzed how in the end these Kremlin-far-right parties' connections impacted the European liberal order. The Kremlin's challenge to the European liberal order through these parties appeared to have several goals: to ...