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Vigano associate Roberto de Mattei attended Duginist/Eurasianist summit hosted by Russian oligarch Malofeev with an unnamed Catholic priest and other Duginist alt right shills
In Vienna, the leaders of the Russian Eurasia Movement met with Western European right-wing populists, aristocrats and entrepreneurs to discuss how to save Europe from liberalism and the gay lobby.
By Bernhard Odehnal,
Vienna
Published: 03.06.2014
"Think of the youth too": Marion Maréchal-Le Pen, here at the end of May in the French National Assembly. Photo: Keystone
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Last Saturday in Vienna: Around the town hall, tens of thousands celebrated the Life Ball, the largest charity event for HIV-infected and AIDS sufferers in Europe. Conchita Wurst sang on the stage, and in front of it gays and lesbians danced in burlesque costumes in the "Garden of Earthly Delights", this year's motto of the ball. At the same time, just a few meters away, in the city palace of Prince Liechtenstein, nationalists and Christian fundamentalists from Russia and the West were discussing how they could save Europe from liberalism and the "satanic" gay lobby and how they could restore the old, God-given order. The meeting took place in the strictest secrecy behind closed doors and drawn curtains. However, it was confirmed to the TA by two independent sources.
The official topic was the historic Congress of Vienna, which exactly 200 years ago, with the founding of the "Holy Alliance", brought the continent "a century of relative calm and geopolitical balance", as the invitation stated. In fact, however, in the magnificent ballroom of the palace, little was said about history and much about the future. Today, Europeans and Christians are faced with historical and geopolitical conditions that make it necessary to "revive the spirit of the Holy Alliance".
A guest from Switzerland
The Vienna conference was hosted by the Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeev and his foundation Saint Basil the Great. Malofeev also moderated the event. Other guests from Russia were the chief ideologist of the Eurasian Movement, Alexander Dugin, and the well-known nationalist painter Ilya Glazunov. From France came the Front National MPs Marion Maréchal-Le Pen (granddaughter of the party founder and niece of Marine Le Pen) and the historian Aymeric Chauprade. From Spain came Prince Sixtus Henri of Bourbon-Parma, leader of the Catholic-monarchist Carlist movement, and from Switzerland Serge de Pahlen, director of a Geneva financial company and husband of the Fiat heiress Margherita Agnelli de Pahlen. From Austria, the chairman of the right-wing populist FPÖ, Heinz-Christian Strache, his deputy Johann Gudenus and the Viennese FPÖ politician Johann Herzog, and from Bulgaria the chairman and founder of the right-wing extremist party Ataka, Volen Siderov. Also present were right-wing extremists from Croatia, nobles from Georgia and Russia, and a Catholic priest.
The press and the public were not informed of the meeting, and the participants were sworn to absolute secrecy. A private security service controlled the entrances to the baroque palace. Even the participants were not allowed to take photographs. When FPÖ leader Strache took a cell phone photo at the conference table, he was immediately reprimanded by conference chair Malofeew.
The star guest of the meeting was Alexander Dugin, a 56-year-old publicist from Moscow, co-founder of the National Bolshevik Party and chief ideologist of the Eurasian Movement. Dugin advocates a European-Asian alliance led by Russia. His ideas were just as evident in Russian President Putin's speech after the annexation of Crimea as they were in the founding of the Eurasian Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan at the end of May. In a TV address in April, Dugin proposed making Europe a Russian protectorate through peaceful means, thereby protecting it from gay marriage, Pussy Riot and from itself: "We must conquer and annex Europe." One thing is certain, Dugin continued, "that we are supported by a pro-Russian fifth column in Europe. These are European intellectuals who want to strengthen their identity."
Praise for Putin's representative
Was Dugin already alluding to participants in the Vienna meeting at the time? Perhaps the Italian historian Roberto de Mattei, who declared the earthquake and tsunami in Japan to be God's punishment and the fall of the Roman Empire to be due to its tolerance of homosexuality? Or the Bulgarian Siderov, whose party sees itself as a bulwark against the advance of Turks and Jews in Europe? The leadership of the Freedom Party of Austria could hardly have felt addressed. Nevertheless, they also have excellent contacts in Russia. Conference participant Johann Gudenus was received by Putin's governor Ramzan Kadyrov in Grozny in 2012 and said afterwards that no one was being persecuted by Kadyrov. In March 2014, Gudenus traveled to Crimea as an observer for the internationally unrecognized referendum. There, too, he saw "no pressure or coercion." Gudenus did not want to answer TA's questions about the meeting in Vienna: It was a private event.
The 39-year-old host Konstantin Malofeev made his fortune with the investment fund Marshall Capital. He also founded a charity fund to support hospitals, schools and the Orthodox Church. It is important to him to convey traditional Russian Christian values. In a portrait in the Financial Times, he is described as a "modern Rasputin" who has direct access to President Putin through a monk friend. Russian media suspect Malofeev of financing the pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. His office did not respond to the TA's request. In an interview with the Russian edition of Forbes, Malofeev confirmed that the self-proclaimed Prime Minister of the Donetsk People's Republic, Alexander Borodai, was his former employee: He wished him "good luck" in his future work, because what is now happening in Ukraine "must worry every Russian."
Conference participant Ilya Glazunov was less worried. When he heard the news of Russia's annexation of Crimea, "tears of joy came to his eyes." In an interview with Russian state television a few weeks ago, the painter showed his monumental works of Russian heroes and saints and announced that no one could bring the new Russia to its knees. Putin's iron will was a miracle: "I feel deep delight at his unshakable faith and his actions for the unity of the Russian people."
Meeting planned in Moscow
Other guests in the ballroom of the Liechtenstein City Palace also praised Putin. One speaker saw Russia's president as the "savior" and the reincarnation of Alexander the First. The Tsar had forged the "Holy Alliance" against Napoleon, but at the Congress of Vienna he also urged that defeated France be readmitted to the community. So it was no problem for the conference participants in 2014 to welcome representatives of the Front National into their midst. 45-year-old Aymeric Chauprade, a newly elected MEP and historian, is an intellectual after Dugin's own taste. Chauprade supports the idea of a Europe of nations with particularly strong ties to Russia. 24-year-old Marion Maréchal-Le Pen, on the other hand, warned the many older men in the group not to forget the youth. A "March of Life" through Europe was also suggested. This could - so the idea goes - motivate the Vatican to support it.
The nationalists' meeting ended with a classical concert and a gala reception (men were required to wear a tuxedo). The next meeting is scheduled to take place in January, probably in Moscow. The organizer suggested Crimea, but other participants rejected this. In winter, the disputed peninsula is too damp and uncomfortable.
In Vienna, the leaders of the Russian Eurasia Movement met with Western European right-wing populists, aristocrats and entrepreneurs to discuss how to save Europe from liberalism and the gay lobby.
By Bernhard Odehnal,
Vienna
Published: 03.06.2014
"Think of the youth too": Marion Maréchal-Le Pen, here at the end of May in the French National Assembly. Photo: Keystone
Subscribe now and benefit from the reading function.
Last Saturday in Vienna: Around the town hall, tens of thousands celebrated the Life Ball, the largest charity event for HIV-infected and AIDS sufferers in Europe. Conchita Wurst sang on the stage, and in front of it gays and lesbians danced in burlesque costumes in the "Garden of Earthly Delights", this year's motto of the ball. At the same time, just a few meters away, in the city palace of Prince Liechtenstein, nationalists and Christian fundamentalists from Russia and the West were discussing how they could save Europe from liberalism and the "satanic" gay lobby and how they could restore the old, God-given order. The meeting took place in the strictest secrecy behind closed doors and drawn curtains. However, it was confirmed to the TA by two independent sources.
The official topic was the historic Congress of Vienna, which exactly 200 years ago, with the founding of the "Holy Alliance", brought the continent "a century of relative calm and geopolitical balance", as the invitation stated. In fact, however, in the magnificent ballroom of the palace, little was said about history and much about the future. Today, Europeans and Christians are faced with historical and geopolitical conditions that make it necessary to "revive the spirit of the Holy Alliance".
A guest from Switzerland
The Vienna conference was hosted by the Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeev and his foundation Saint Basil the Great. Malofeev also moderated the event. Other guests from Russia were the chief ideologist of the Eurasian Movement, Alexander Dugin, and the well-known nationalist painter Ilya Glazunov. From France came the Front National MPs Marion Maréchal-Le Pen (granddaughter of the party founder and niece of Marine Le Pen) and the historian Aymeric Chauprade. From Spain came Prince Sixtus Henri of Bourbon-Parma, leader of the Catholic-monarchist Carlist movement, and from Switzerland Serge de Pahlen, director of a Geneva financial company and husband of the Fiat heiress Margherita Agnelli de Pahlen. From Austria, the chairman of the right-wing populist FPÖ, Heinz-Christian Strache, his deputy Johann Gudenus and the Viennese FPÖ politician Johann Herzog, and from Bulgaria the chairman and founder of the right-wing extremist party Ataka, Volen Siderov. Also present were right-wing extremists from Croatia, nobles from Georgia and Russia, and a Catholic priest.
The press and the public were not informed of the meeting, and the participants were sworn to absolute secrecy. A private security service controlled the entrances to the baroque palace. Even the participants were not allowed to take photographs. When FPÖ leader Strache took a cell phone photo at the conference table, he was immediately reprimanded by conference chair Malofeew.
The star guest of the meeting was Alexander Dugin, a 56-year-old publicist from Moscow, co-founder of the National Bolshevik Party and chief ideologist of the Eurasian Movement. Dugin advocates a European-Asian alliance led by Russia. His ideas were just as evident in Russian President Putin's speech after the annexation of Crimea as they were in the founding of the Eurasian Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan at the end of May. In a TV address in April, Dugin proposed making Europe a Russian protectorate through peaceful means, thereby protecting it from gay marriage, Pussy Riot and from itself: "We must conquer and annex Europe." One thing is certain, Dugin continued, "that we are supported by a pro-Russian fifth column in Europe. These are European intellectuals who want to strengthen their identity."
Praise for Putin's representative
Was Dugin already alluding to participants in the Vienna meeting at the time? Perhaps the Italian historian Roberto de Mattei, who declared the earthquake and tsunami in Japan to be God's punishment and the fall of the Roman Empire to be due to its tolerance of homosexuality? Or the Bulgarian Siderov, whose party sees itself as a bulwark against the advance of Turks and Jews in Europe? The leadership of the Freedom Party of Austria could hardly have felt addressed. Nevertheless, they also have excellent contacts in Russia. Conference participant Johann Gudenus was received by Putin's governor Ramzan Kadyrov in Grozny in 2012 and said afterwards that no one was being persecuted by Kadyrov. In March 2014, Gudenus traveled to Crimea as an observer for the internationally unrecognized referendum. There, too, he saw "no pressure or coercion." Gudenus did not want to answer TA's questions about the meeting in Vienna: It was a private event.
The 39-year-old host Konstantin Malofeev made his fortune with the investment fund Marshall Capital. He also founded a charity fund to support hospitals, schools and the Orthodox Church. It is important to him to convey traditional Russian Christian values. In a portrait in the Financial Times, he is described as a "modern Rasputin" who has direct access to President Putin through a monk friend. Russian media suspect Malofeev of financing the pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. His office did not respond to the TA's request. In an interview with the Russian edition of Forbes, Malofeev confirmed that the self-proclaimed Prime Minister of the Donetsk People's Republic, Alexander Borodai, was his former employee: He wished him "good luck" in his future work, because what is now happening in Ukraine "must worry every Russian."
Conference participant Ilya Glazunov was less worried. When he heard the news of Russia's annexation of Crimea, "tears of joy came to his eyes." In an interview with Russian state television a few weeks ago, the painter showed his monumental works of Russian heroes and saints and announced that no one could bring the new Russia to its knees. Putin's iron will was a miracle: "I feel deep delight at his unshakable faith and his actions for the unity of the Russian people."
Meeting planned in Moscow
Other guests in the ballroom of the Liechtenstein City Palace also praised Putin. One speaker saw Russia's president as the "savior" and the reincarnation of Alexander the First. The Tsar had forged the "Holy Alliance" against Napoleon, but at the Congress of Vienna he also urged that defeated France be readmitted to the community. So it was no problem for the conference participants in 2014 to welcome representatives of the Front National into their midst. 45-year-old Aymeric Chauprade, a newly elected MEP and historian, is an intellectual after Dugin's own taste. Chauprade supports the idea of a Europe of nations with particularly strong ties to Russia. 24-year-old Marion Maréchal-Le Pen, on the other hand, warned the many older men in the group not to forget the youth. A "March of Life" through Europe was also suggested. This could - so the idea goes - motivate the Vatican to support it.
The nationalists' meeting ended with a classical concert and a gala reception (men were required to wear a tuxedo). The next meeting is scheduled to take place in January, probably in Moscow. The organizer suggested Crimea, but other participants rejected this. In winter, the disputed peninsula is too damp and uncomfortable.
