French writer: Instead of “soft power” in Russia – dome and a strong leader

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Французская писательница: Вместо "мягкой силы" у России - купола и сильный лидер

In an interview with Le Monde French writer Cecile Vessey told about the methods of Russian “policy of seduction.” According to her, Russia has neither of companies like Coca-Cola or mass movie for export, as the United States, but her Arsenal of “soft power” has Russian language, the Golden domes and the image of a strong leader, who consistently operate on the French.

In an interview with Le Monde French writer, political scientist, author of “the Network of the Kremlin in France, Cecily Vessey told about the methods of Russian “policy of seduction.” According to her, all States, including France, using a strategy of “soft power.” Russia in this plan, no such strong trumps, what have the USA, where it was coined the notion of soft power.

She doesn’t belong to large companies like Coca-Cola, Apple or Microsoft, and Russian films no longer exported. But Russia excites the imagination because of its language, landscapes and the Golden dome, says the writer. And it is the French, not without reason in Paris will soon open a new Orthodox Cathedral.

To compensate for the lack of “soft power”, Moscow has developed its own policy influence, taking in the sights of political and economic circles in the West, particularly the European Union, which represents for her an obstacle, said Cecile Vessey.

The Kremlin prefers to engage in dialogue with each European country separately, as it understands that some States with large wary of rapprochement with Russia. This primarily concerns the Baltic countries and Poland, says the writer.

Therefore, Moscow chose a goal of the state that, on the one hand, have a weight within the EU, and on the other deprived of this uncertainty, according to Vessey. One of them was France, where, contrary to the widespread due to the propaganda of the idea, there is no Russophobia. On the contrary — for many centuries the French people and the elite were famous for their Russophilia.

One of the foundations of Russian rhetoric is the assertion that Russia — “champion in Christian and family values”, unlike the decadent West, says Vessey. But in fact it is a myth, because bastard children and single-parent families in Russia is very common. However when in France there was an active debate about the legalization of gay marriage, this myth had a great influence.

In particular, it has actively promoted the Institute of democracy and cooperation in Paris is headed by Natalya Narochnitskaya, a former diplomat, —which consisted, apparently, in good relations with the KGB and became Orthodox activist. Since 2008, she moved closer to the French Catholic community and the ultra-right, says Vessey.

Another organization — the Association “Franco-Russian dialogue” — apparently in favour of strengthening economic and cultural ties between the two countries, but in fact systematically defends the interests of the Kremlin in the French Parliament, said the writer. In addition, its policy influence Russia holds the media in which it has invested millions of euros. And here, according to Vessey, it is not about presenting an alternative worldview, and fraudulent or fictitious facts.

Also, the Russian rhetoric is echoed by a variety of French politicians on both the left and right wing, opposed to the influence of the US and NATO and rejecting the idea of the EU and the Euro, I’m sure the writer. They all are attracted by the idea of “Providence sent down by the leader” and cult of the strong person they see Vladimir Putin. However, some political parties of Europe, the Kremlin is funding, as in the days of the Soviet Union funded the Communist party of France, and some just uses as “useful idiots”, says Cecile Vessey.

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