Fighting for Eurasia: Identitarian Intellectuals, Far-Right Strategists and Christian Fundamentalists Converge in Moldova
The idea of Eurasia, which has been most cogently elaborated and pushed by Russian ultranationalist Alexander Dugin, advocates for the expansion of the borders and influence of Russia across the Eurasian continent. Its underlying idea is that the unique Asian and European character of Russia needs to be preserved as a civilizational entity, one that is multi-religious and ethnic but distinctly Russian, patriotic, centralized and imperial in form. Eurasia has since become shorthand for an expansionist vision partly rooted in a cultural myth, partly anchored in the Soviet experience and is being pushed as a way to advocate for greater Russia. According to far-right expert Jean-Yves Camus, Moldova is also symbolic because it is the farthest west people under sanctions for their role in the Russia’s 2014 invasion of Crimea, like Dugin himself, can travel.
To bolster the narrative of Eurasian unity and redefine true Europe as separate from the European Union, the Kremlin has tried to emerge as the guardian of true Occidental civilization. Vladimir Putin has redefined himself as the guardian of traditionalist Christian values, which has meant bolstering anti-LBGT legislation, curtailing reproductive rights and increasing nationalist rhetoric. This reinvention of the Kremlin during Putin’s third presidency, starting in 2012, has made it an easy partner for the U.S.-based anti-LGBT Christian international organization, the World Congress of Families (which serves as a nexus of anti-LGBT and anti-choice organizing for various groups), as well as for European far-right parties, intellectuals and movements. December’s colloquium exemplified this convergence between traditionalists, nationalists and far-right actors of all stripes.