European Parliament may stop acting like USA's lap-dog

On May 25, 350 million EU citizens will go to the polls to elect the European Parliament, which, according to recent polls, enjoys less and less popularity and trust. It is assumed that the number of Eurosceptic MPs will increase - not from extreme right groups, who positively assess Russia's actions in the Crimea, but also from the center-left parties. Will they be able to influence the policies of the new structure of the European Commission?

Photo: AP photo

All recent polls show that voter turnout is expected to be on a record low - not more than 25-30 percent (in 2009 - 43 percent). This figure says, in the first place, that the population is not well associated with the European project in the form, in which it is being realized, namely, at the behest of the United States for the purpose of territorial expansion.

The number of seats in the European Parliament is allocated proportionally to the population of the Union. Thus, Germany will have 96 MPs at the Parliament, France - 74, Britain and Italy - 73 each, Spain - 54 and Poland - 51 deputies. The Western press is replete with articles saying that far-right parties will be able to win from 100 to 200 seats at this election, create their own faction and become a third force in the European Parliament, after the "populists" and socialists, pushing into the background the liberals, the "greens" and the left.

The extreme right have the largest influence in France, the Netherlands, Austria, Hungary, Great Britain, Finland, Greece and Denmark. They have two main slogans - to refuse from the European Union as a supranational body that enslaved national sovereignty, and revise migration policy towards its extreme tightening. The only countries, where deputies of extreme right parties are not represented in the election, are Portugal, Spain and Germany.

To Russia, this trend is interesting from the point of view of the fact that these forces support Russia in its position on the Crimea and Ukraine. Thus, the leader of the French National Front, Marine Le Pen, said that she shared "common values" with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Marine Le Pen believes that good relations with Russia make the minimum necessary for peace in Europe. In her opinion, the EU actions against Russia come contrary to the interests of the Europeans. "I want to stand at the head of a non-aligned state, which does not subordinate to either the U.S. or Russia, and conduct equitable negotiations with both powers," AFP quoted Le Pen as saying.

In addition, the Euroscepticism of ultra-rightist forces is important for Russia - not from the point of view of the collapse of the EU, but in terms of displacement of the pro-American parties from the European Parliament. In this regard, not only ultra-right groups, but other parties can be attributed to Euro-skeptics, for example, the left-centrist party Alternative for Germany.

"In some countries, Eurosceptics are right-wing radicals, whereas in other ones - they are left, but, in principle, Euroscepticism, as a movement, is more inclined to the leftist center," Vladimir Olenchenko, senior officer at the Center for European Studies of the Institute of World Economy and International relations told Pravda.Ru. Euroscepticism is connected not only with the destruction of the EU, but also with the choice of its development strategy, the expert said.

Conservatives or rightist groups (populists, socialists, liberals) are lobbied by the Atlanticist business elite. They stand in favor of expansion - the continuation of EU expansion through the acquisition of new markets for the creation of a financial and economic pyramid, said Vladimir Olenchenko. Eurosceptics are "collectors" and "integrators," the expert said. They say that it is enough to expand, let us strengthen internal communications, improve the division of labor, improve the efficiency of the economy. This group enjoys the support of national business elite,  and this is where Russia should come up with its support. As the group strengthens, the U.S. loses its absolute influence on European authorities, which we can observe in EU's actions in Ukraine. "The Euro-Atlantic line is that the EU recognizes the leadership of the USA and focuses on their ideological conditions," said Vladimir Olenchenko. As for other center-left Eurosceptics, one shall point out  the Italian party Beppe Grillo and SYRIZA in Greece.

The elections in 2014 are the first, in which European citizens will have an opportunity to influence the election of the new president of the European Commission, which now heads Jose Manuel Barroso of Portugal. Each party of 28 countries running for the elections will offer its own candidacy. The chairman will be determined by the number of winners in the elections in each country. "This will probably be a representative of Germany, and, of course, Germany itself. The supporters of a pro-European lobby in the EU expect it to run a more independent European policy. That does not mean that it will be a pro-Russian policy - it will be a more independent policy," said Vladimir Olenchenko. Policy will change, but not dramatically, because there is succession of power in the EU. It will take not less than a year to improve relations with the Russian Federation, the expert suggests.

Thus, it is obvious that Eurosceptics will have a lot of votes at the elections to the European Parliament. They are conditional allies of Russia; the new European Commission will be elected, which it will be much easier for Russia to work with. Russia's strongest leverage is gas. All documents necessary for the construction of the South Stream gas pipeline have been collected, which means that Europe hears Russia. To crown it all, the European Commissioner for Energy, Gunther Oettinger, has recently said that the gas sector is not suitable for the list of possible sanctions against Russia.

"The Russian partners are the most important gas suppliers on the market of the European Union. This continues for 40 years. We in the EU agree that the energy sector, in particular the gas field, is not suitable for a list of possible sanctions against Russia. This means that, despite the crisis, we are ready to continue gas partnership. Russia supplies gas, and Europe pays," said Oettinger.

Therefore, Russia must continue the line of its recent policy towards Europe. The shift towards China as a consumer will take its toll. Why not reviving the idea of a gas cartel? For the first time, three major gas exporters - Russia, Qatar, Iran - have very similar interests. Russian Vice Minister Karasin has recently paid a visit to Qatar. The results of the visit showed that the countries may well be working on the same side of the barricades to show the USA its place.

Lyuba Lulko
Pravda.Ru

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