Russia's hybrid war and Europe's far right turn
On August 4, a drone struck the wing of a Ukrainian aircraft at Germany’s Leipzig Airport and fell onto the tarmac. It failed to explode. Two more drones were also found nearby over the next few days.
All the evidence has pointed to Russia as the main culprit, with German officials highlighting how the Leipzig airport attack followed a “well-established pattern of Russian hybrid operations in Europe.” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, also said the alliance "stands in full solidarity with Germany", adding that “The evidence is clear.”
This incident has put a renewed focus on Russia’s escalating hybrid campaign against Europe, and raises questions about how policymakers across the continent can and should respond.
While Russia targets Europe, we’ve seen a number of far-right parties - that seem to share President Vladimir Putin’s “anti-woke” views and have called for curtailing military and financial aid to Ukraine and rapprochement with Russia - make gains in key countries like Germany and France. As these parties gain momentum, what will this mean for Europe’s Russia policy?
The upsurge in support for far right parties in Europe’s key states is also raising concerns in Greece, which is preparing for national elections in the spring. Could it happen here as well? While the far-right is fragmented, previous election results suggest there is an electoral base. The release of Ilias Kasidiaris from prison, a former leading figure of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party, and his announcement that he intends to re-enter politics, is also adding a new dimension to the debate about the prospects of a far-right revival.
Alexander Gabuev, Dimitar Bechev, and Lamprini Rori join Thanos Davelis this week as we take a closer look at these developments.
A little more info on our guests:
Alexander Gabuev is the director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.
Dimitar Bechev is a senior fellow at Carnegie Europe and director of the Dahrendorf Programme on Europe in a Changing World at the European Studies Centre of the University of Oxford's St Antony's College.
Lambrini Rori is an Associate Professor in Political Analysis at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.