Links Between the Balkan Far-Right and the War in Ukraine
The result's identifiers
Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F48546054%3A_____%2F23%3AN0000070" target="_blank" >RIV/48546054:_____/23:N0000070 - isvavai.cz</a>
Result on the web
<a href="https://atlanticinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Policy-Paper-No.-5-ENG.pdf" target="_blank" >https://atlanticinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Policy-Paper-No.-5-ENG.pdf</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
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Alternative languages
Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Links Between the Balkan Far-Right and the War in Ukraine
Original language description
The war against Ukraine contributes to the internationalisation of rightwing extremism. This poses a threat to Europe, including countries of the Western Balkans. The links between the far-right in the Balkans and Russia are of concern, given the geopolitical situation in the Balkans and the exacerbation of pro-Russian narratives. The far-right in the region has shown an increase in voters, parties, and movements supporting Russia, which necessitates close attention due to the potential for radicalisation and violence. This trend further testifies to a changed political and ideological environment, in which the issue of democracy is increasingly and openly contested. While the far-right in most Balkan countries is not a significant political factor, its boundary with mainstream political parties is thinning. Russia’s war in Ukraine enhances the transnational right-wing radical milieu, potentially leading to growth and radicalisation through propaganda, networks, and military training. The far-right politics in the Balkans often aligns with the EU-Russia geopolitical conflict, especially through its reliance on anti-Western rhetoric. Individuals from the Balkans have traveled to Ukraine to take part in the war on the pro-Russian side since 2014. Since 2022, joining the pro-Russian forces in Ukraine is a cause widely advertised on Telegram channels in the Balkans and it seeks to connect Russia’s military and political goals with local grievances and pre-existing narratives regarding Kosovo. The war enhances possibilities for the far-right in the Balkans to cooperate with pro-Russian forces in the battlefield in terms of spreading propaganda and maintaining a support network.
Czech name
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Czech description
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Classification
Type
O - Miscellaneous
CEP classification
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OECD FORD branch
50601 - Political science
Result continuities
Project
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Continuities
I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace
Others
Publication year
2023
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů