Thread by @iamsneaker1

@doritoeubanks @ItsArtoir A thread on neo-#Nazis in #Russia and #Ukraine:

The Rise and Fall of Far-Right and Neo-Nazi Movements in Ukraine and Russia since 1990: A Comparative Perspective

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@doritoeubanks @ItsArtoir Since USSR ended in 1991, the landscape of far-right & neo-Nazi movements in Russia & Ukraine has evolved in response to various political, social, & economic changes. Understanding this provides crucial insight into a broader resurgence of far-right movements across Europe.

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@doritoeubanks @ItsArtoir In #Ukraine, the resurgence of far-right ideologies started to gain momentum in the late 2000s. The Svoboda party, originally known as the Social-National Party of Ukraine, emerged as a political force, winning seats in local governments and the national parliament.

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@doritoeubanks @ItsArtoir In the 2012 parliamentary elections, Svoboda secured 10.44% of the national vote, gaining 38 out of 450 seats in the Verkhovna Rada, #Ukraine's parliament. This marked Svoboda's peak popularity and their entry into mainstream politics.

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@doritoeubanks @ItsArtoir The initial surge was followed by a decline. In 2014 elections, Svoboda's support fell to 4.71%, yielding only 6 parliamentary seats. By 2019, Svoboda's support had further declined to 2.15% of the vote, with the party securing only a single seat in the parliament.

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@doritoeubanks @ItsArtoir Amidst the turmoil following the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014 and the ensuing conflict in Eastern Ukraine, a new far-right group emerged - the Azov Battalion.

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@doritoeubanks @ItsArtoir Though not a political party, Azov Battalion attracted attention due to neo-Nazi & white supremacist views of some of its members. However, by 2015/2016, it had been integrated into the National Guard of Ukraine & had started distancing itself from its earlier extremist views.
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@doritoeubanks @ItsArtoir In Russia, the emergence of far-right and neo-Nazi movements dates back to the early 1990s, amid the socio-economic chaos following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Vladimir Zhirinovsky's LDPR was one of the early and most enduring of these movements.
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@doritoeubanks @ItsArtoir While the LDPR's rhetoric contains elements of Russian nationalism and xenophobia, it has been more of a populist party and its alignment with neo-Nazism is questionable as is that of other European far-right parties.
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@doritoeubanks @ItsArtoir #Russia's LDPR had its best election result in 1993, winning 22.92% and becoming the largest single party in the State Duma. However, since then, its support has fluctuated, but it has consistently secured representation in the parliament.

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@doritoeubanks @ItsArtoir There were also more explicitly neo-Nazi groups, such as Russian National Unity, but these did not translate into significant electoral support and have largely been suppressed under Putin's administration.

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@doritoeubanks @ItsArtoir When comparing the rise of far-right movements in Ukraine and Russia to other European countries, there are similarities and differences. For instance, France's Front National surged in the 2010s under Marine Le Pen, peaking in 2017 with 21.3% in the presidential runoff.

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@doritoeubanks @ItsArtoir In #Italy, Lega under Salvini also gained significant support, increasing from 4.08% in 2013 to 17.4% in 2018. Fratelli d'Italia, another far-right party in Italy, has also seen its fortunes rise from 1.95% of the vote in 2013 to 4.35% in 2018.

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@doritoeubanks @ItsArtoir In #Greece, Golden Dawn (notorious for neo-Nazi sympathies) secured 6.28% in 2012, entering parliament for the first time. However, its popularity declined and it failed to win any seats in the 2019 parliamentary elections.

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@doritoeubanks @ItsArtoir To summarise: the rise and decline of far-right and neo-Nazi movements in Ukraine and Russia since the 1990s mirrors a broader trend seen across Europe. While there have been periods of significant influence, these movements have generally remained on the periphery.

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@doritoeubanks @ItsArtoir These trends serve as a reminder that while far-right ideologies can and do gain traction in times of political and social unrest, they often struggle to maintain their appeal over the long term.
#Russia's claims about #Ukraine should therefore be viewed in this light.

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