Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, warned that cooperation between authoritarian regimes and far-right parties in Europe is expanding. She said the trend threatens democracy and fundamental freedoms.
Speaking in London at the launch of a new report on what it describes as “authoritarian solidarity,” Navalnaya, head of the Human Rights Foundation, said these groups are increasingly sharing experiences and coordinating their actions.
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“They learn from each other, they cooperate,” she told reporters, adding that those “fighting for freedom will only succeed if they cooperate, too.”
Navalnaya noted that authoritarian regimes are refining their methods and using Western countries’ financial and legal systems to evade restrictions and sanctions.
According to the report, European parties described as far right are seeking to consolidate and make their ties more visible, with the aim of gaining political legitimacy through mutual support.
The document mentions France’s National Rally (RN), Alternative for Germany (AfD) and Reform UK in the United Kingdom.
As a specific example, the report cites Jordan Bardella, president of France’s National Rally, attending Reform UK’s conference in early September.
The document says AfD has recently expanded its ties with Russia, moving from financial support to a broader and more substantive dialogue.
These developments are unfolding as Europe faces major political challenges. Upcoming elections in countries such as France and Spain could affect the balance of political forces across the continent.
The report presents Beijing and Moscow as the two main pillars of a global authoritarian axis. It emphasizes that their cooperation in media and technology is becoming increasingly institutionalized.
According to the document, ties between countries and actors with shared interests are also growing stronger in Africa and Southeast Asia.
The report warns that international conflicts could accelerate the formation of military alliances between authoritarian regimes and increase their influence and ability to act in coordination.
Since the death of her husband, Alexei Navalny, who died in prison in 2024, Yulia Navalnaya has become one of the most prominent figures in the Russian opposition in exile.
A European investigation, whose findings were published in February, concluded that Navalny had been poisoned with a rare toxin.
The report was prepared by the Human Rights Foundation in collaboration with the US nongovernmental organization Action for Democracy, as part of the “Authoritarian Cooperation Index.”
Domonkos Kovacs, the project lead behind the creation of the index, said its aim is to highlight the growing solidarity that enables authoritarian regimes to help one another suppress opposition and critical voices.
