According to the former socialist commissioner “the war in Ukraine has an importance that goes beyond Ukraine itself. If Putin wins, this thought according to which democracy and the rule of law have no future also wins”
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“When Italy was in difficulty due to the pandemic, Wilders he said: not a single euro to Italy. And now he and Salvini are they friends?”. Frans Timmermans, leader of the red-green alliance in the Netherlands and former vice-president of the European Commission, warns in an interview with “Repubblica”: “We are facing a real danger. Europe has an existential challenge ahead of it. Wilders is coming to Italy but he wants to split the EU, his is a nationalist thought and he certainly will not help Italy if it were necessary”. Meanwhile, the right has also advanced in Austria. Salvini has also called the exponents of the Fpö ‘friends’: “Let’s not forget that that party was founded by two SS officers. Last week they sang a Nazi song at a ceremony. These are their origins. And, even more importantly for today’s Europe, they are friends of Putin. We all remember Salvini who wore that shirt with the face of the Russian president. So I understand that they are his friends. The same goes – adds Timmermans – for Wilders who waved the Russian flag. Now he hides it but that’s how it is. However, we must defend ourselves from Putin, cannot win in Ukraine. It is an existential question for the EU.”
According to the former socialist commissioner, “the war in Ukraine has an importance that goes beyond Ukraine itself. If Putin wins, this thought according to which democracy and the rule of law have no future also wins. It is a danger for citizens and for freedoms. Autocracies cannot accept an open society. And they cause disasters. Also on the economic level. Let’s look at Hungary: Orban he has become very rich but his country is poor”. As for Holland: “In the government they are making an incredible mess. Every day there is a problem, every day they do something unacceptable. Even those who voted for Wilders are starting to understand that they are not capable of governing a complicated country like mine”.
In just over a month, the United States will vote. The possible victory of Trump could give even more oxygen to this right: “A Trump victory would give breath to the autocracy. Already during the election campaign he is attacking the rule of law every day. Unfortunately, this problem will be with us for at least 10-15 years. I am talking about a current of thought in society that crosses all continents. We see it in America and Europe but also in Asia. This is my fear. I sense an attraction for strong men. It is a trend that must be stopped. We Europeans – concludes Timmermans – cannot forget our history. There is no better system than democracy based on the rule of law. We politicians and you journalists have a pedagogical responsibility on this point”.
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