Russia-index: 11 new EU-sceptic parties added

Explanations

The Russia-Index 1.1 is here. It is updated with 11 new EU-sceptic parties voting behaviour in European Parliament in votes with a Russian interest. The index now contains 17 parties from EFDD, ECR, GUE/NGL and NI. 

The background to the index is that I have noticed during the autumn that Sweden Democrats MEP:s, despite the party publicly in Sweden saying the opposite, have been ending up with more well-known Pro-Kremlin parties in votes with direct or indirect interest for Russia. In order to broaden the perspective on how EU-sceptic parties are divided in their views of Russia I have gone through all the votes of the new Parliament in 2014 and I have found 12 votes fit for the index. EU-sceptics both to the right and the left end up in very different corners when you add these votes together in an interesting pattern.

Most votes are concerning implementation of Eastern Partnership strategy through association agreements with Moldovia, Ukraine and Georgia. But here is also votes on lower (or none) custom fees, scientific cooperation, condemning Russias closure of NGO Memorial, heroes of democracy as The Guardian calls Memorial.

To illustrate the differences between different parties I have done a very simple index. The index does not take into account the importance of the votes, but treat them all the same. This is of course something you can criticize but I have decided to keep it simple to get an overview. Parties receive 1 for a YES, 0 for Abstention and -1 for NO.

The index range between +12 to -12, higher negative number the more positive it is for Kremlin interest. In version 1.1 the difference from version 1.0 is adding of a lot more parties, the number of votes are the same. Version 1.0 also contained an illustration on how the Sweden Democrats could have swinged the balance in the EFDD- group which is excluded in this post. 

PVV gets the maximum -12, SD, UKIP, FN and LN all ends up on -10. On the other side of the scale you find True Finns +11, Danish Peoples Party +9 and the Swedish Left Party +8.

How every party has voted is presented in the matrix below. Please note that some parties have been divided in some votes, this especially the case for AfD, the majority of the party have decided if the party will get a is a YES, Abs or NO in the matrix. In one case AfD ended up 3-3 between YES and Abs, and received 0,5 index points.

Voting Matrix. Click to get the picture enlarged.

Some conclusion from the matrix above:

*Sweden Democrats, UKIP, Front National, Party for Freedom & Lega Nord forms a solid NO-bloc, where Kremlin has an interest of a no-vote and none-EU action. 

*The one who tends to vote against Russian interest, despite being EU-sceptics, are found in the Baltic Region. Highest points have True Finns, Danish People´s party, Swedish Left Party and Law & Order from Lithuania. Law & Order would probably have ended up with a higher index score if they had been present during more votes. Exception is the Sweden Democrats.

*The group EFDD is divided. A large minority always break the ranks. The breakers are found in TT, M5S and KNP.

*Other Nordic EU-sceptics to the right votes very different to Sweden Democrats. True Finns are truly the Sweden Democrats opposite. Only in one vote have they been voting the same.

*Swedish Left Party MEP Malin Björk has broken GUE/NGL ranks seven times. In several votes she has
been the only yes-voter in the group. The Swede is the rebell in the GUE/NGL in these votes, most voting ”in Russian interest” is the Danish People´s movement against EU.

*AfD in ECR is a party split in two, where usually two MEP:s votes more in ”Russian-interest” than the others. This is not reflected in the matrix, nor in the index.

*Sweden Democrats & UKIP always vote the same. Lega Nord & Front National also always vote the same.

EUbloggen received reactions from Nordic MEP:s on version 1.0 – read them: 

• The True Finns MEP Jussi Halla-aho comments here (in English).
• The Left Party MEP Malin Björk comments here (in Swedish).
• The Danish Peoples Party MEP Morten Messerschmidt comments here (in Danish).
• The Sweden Democrat MEP Peter Lundgren comments here (in Swedish).

More facts on the content of votes:

1	http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=P8-RC-2014-0025&language=EN
2	http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=AGENDA&reference=20140916&secondRef=SIT&language=EN
3	http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&reference=A8-2014-0002&language=EN
4	http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=P8-RC-2014-0118&language=EN
5	http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=P8-RC-2014-0164&language=EN
6	http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P8-TA-2014-0042
7	http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&reference=A8-2014-0020&language=EN
8	http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&reference=A8-2014-0022&language=EN
9	http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+REPORT+A8-2014-0053+0+DOC+XML+V0//SV
10	http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&reference=A8-2014-0042&language=EN
11	http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&reference=A8-2014-0042&language=EN
12	http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&reference=A8-2014-0039&language=EN

EUbloggen´s Russia Index shows differences between voting behaviour

Click to enlarge

This Blogpost in English has been requested by several readers after I posted the first version of the Index in Swedish. The background to the index is that I have noticed during the autumn that Sweden Democrats MEP:s, despite the party publicly in Sweden saying the opposite, have been ending up with more well-known Pro-Kreml and EU-sceptic parties in votes with direct or indirect interest for Russia. 

To broaden the perspective on how EU-sceptic parties are divided in their views of Russia I have gone through all the votes of the new Parliament in 2014 and have found 12 votes fit for the index. Most votes are concerning implementation of Eastern Partnership strategy through association agreements with Moldovia, Ukraine and Georgia. But here is also votes on lower (or none) custom fees, scientific cooperation, condemning Russias closure of NGO Memorial, heroes of democracy as The Guardian calls Memorial.

In this first version I have picked six parties that forms two different approaches in voting. The first bloc is UKIP and Sweden Democrats from EFDD and Front National. Since my perspective is mainly Swedish/Nordic the others are three EU-sceptic Nordic parties; True Finns and Danish Peoples party (Dansk Folkeparti) from ECR (but former member of the same group as UKIP) and the Swedish Left Party (Vänsterpartiet) from GUE/NGL.

I will add more parties to the index to give a even broader perspective (my plan was to have version 2 of the Index in English, but some of my readers were eager go get a post with out Google Translation).

I have also added the voting numbers of the partygroup EFDD to illustrate how divided that party group is and how SD:s 2 MEP:s could have swinged the balance in the group.

Some conclusion from the matrix above:

*Sweden Democrats & UKIP always vote the same. 

*SD, UKIP & FN votes almost NO in every resolution and agreement where Kremlin has an interest of a no-vote and none-EU action. 

*The group EFDD is divided. A large minority always break the ranks.

*Other Nordic EU-sceptics votes are very different to Sweden Democrats. True Finns are truly the Sweden Democrats opposite. Only in one vote have they been voting the same.

*Swedish Left Party MEP Malin Björk has broken GUE/NGL ranks seven times. In several votes she has been the only yes-voter in the group. Number of times SD has broken rank is zero.

EFDD more in depth: In general it is the italians in M5S who abstains while the groups Baltic member &
Polish MEP who votes yes. In one of twelve votes a majority voted against the partygroupline. If SD would have voted differently there would have been a majority against the group´s official position during four votes, and another three would have ended up in tie. In other words, UKIP would not have had a majority within EFDD without SD in total 8 of 12 votes.

To illustrate the differences between the different parties I have done a very simple index. The index does not take into account the importance of the votes, but treat them all the same. This is of course something you can criticize but I have decided to keep it simply to get an overview. Parties receive 1 for a YES, 0 for Abstention and -1 for NO.

The index range between +12 to -12, higher negative number, the more positive it is for Kremlin interest. SD, UKIP and FN all ends up on -10. On the other side of the scale you find True Finns +11, Danish Peoples Party +9 and the Swedish Left Party +8

EUbloggen have asked the Nordic EU-sceptic MEP:s for reactions and comments on the votes:

The True Finns MEP Jussi Halla-aho comments here (in English).

The Left Party MEP Malin Björk comments here (in Swedish).

The Danish Peoples Party MEP Morten Messerschmidt comments here (in Danish).

The Sweden Democrat MEP Peter Lundgren comments here (in Swedish).

(PO)

This blogpost is written be Patrik Oksanen, a former SVT (public service) correspondent in Brussels and currently freelance journalist (but soon on a new assignment). Twitter: @patrikoksanen

True Finns: ”We see Russia as a threat”

Jussi Halla-aho Photo © European Union 2014 – EP

EUbloggen has done an index (currently for six EU-skeptic parties, four from Nordic Countries and UKIP & FN) concerning European Parliamentary votes. Read about it here and how it is constructed (in Swedish, use Google Translate). The index shows that in votes with Russian interest the EU-sceptic parties are divided by their views about Russia. On one side parties like Front National, UKIP and Sweden Democrats are saying no in almost every vote. On the other side you have parties voting yes or in some degree abstain there votes because their views on Russia.

EUbloggen have done an email interview with MEP Jussi Halla-aho from True Finns (ECR-group). The True Finns have voted Yes in every vote, but one, in the twelve votes of the Index.

Sweden Democrats argues that a Yes to Association Agreement is a Yes of EU-enlargement of Ukraine, Georgia and Moldavia, do you agree?

– I disagree. Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova do not meet or even approach the criteria for membership. The decisions taken by the parliament aim to lessen the economic dependence of Ukraine from Russia and thereby strengthen the democratic process in that country. We see Russia as a threat to European security and values and think it is strategically necessary to remove countries like Ukraine from the ”grey zone” and Russian sphere of influence.

 True Finns are former member of EFD (today renamed EFDD), how do you view UKIP:s politics concerning Russia?

– We think it is very unfortunate. We share UKIP’s views concerning the negative impact of the EU on nation states, but we do not see the Putinesque authoritarianism as an attractive alternative.

SD and UKIP have 100 per cent voting, there are speculations that SD is forced to vote as UKIP in these votes, from your experience is that a likely or unlikely speculation?

– I think it is a possibility. On the other hand, the Five Star Movement MEP’s are very pro-immigration and usually vote differently from other members of the EFDD when it comes to asylum questions. Thus, UKIP does not seem to be able to control other delegations within the EFDD.

And Jussi Halla-aho also wanted to add this remark…

– Nationalism may mean very different things in different countries. France and Britain are former empires, and for FN and UKIP ”nationalism” may be closer to chauvinism rather than strict opposition to any form of imperialism, as it is in our case. 

– They may see Putin’s Russia as a welcome counter-weight to American influence and monopolar world order. That is, a new cold war and balance of power would also strengthen their own position in global politics.

– To us, nationalism is less self-centered and means general respect for ALL nation states and a general rejection of hierarchical relationship between nations, big and small.

(PO)

For mainly my Swedish readers:

Jussi Halla-aho stated recently (link in Swedish) about the similarities between Sweden Democrates and True Finns on immigration following; ”In Sweden the True Finns would be a Naziparty, while the Sweden Democrats would not make any reaction at all in Finland. We have the same line concerning immigration.”

This quote underlines the similarities between the parties but also the difference in voting in European Parliament.

EUbloggen Weekly

EUbloggen Weekly gives you a video summary from a Swedish Perspective on EU affairs. This week with Swedish grades for Barroso, the agency who forgot EU and MEP of the WEEK.

Read longer posts (in Swedish, use Google Translate):

Swedish Grades for Barroso

The Agency who forgot EU

(PO)