Russia fully controls the European right

Marine Le Pen has admitted that her right-wing National Front party accepted money from a Russian bank, amid growing evidence that the Kremlin is supporting anti-European parties across the continent, writes the BH news agency Patria.

Le Pen said her party received a loan of 9 million euros (7,000,000 pounds) in September from the Russian-owned First Czech-Russian Bank, but stressed that the money would not influence her policies.

All right-wingers for the secession of Crimea

"We signed an agreement with the First Bank and we are very happy about it," she said. But, it is "ridiculous to claim that receiving money will determine our international position," Le Pen insisted. "These insinuations are unheard of and offensive," she said.

According to the latest polls, the National Front is currently the most popular party in France (and this was confirmed in the recently concluded local elections).

Russian loans have also been extended to Greece and the neo-fascist Golden Dawn party, to the Belgian "Vlaams Belang", the Italian Northern League, Hungary's Jobbik, and the Freedom Party of Austria, reports The Times. All these parties, except Golden Dawn, were invited to observe the vote on Crimea's accession to Russia, and all have supported this Russian seizure of the Ukrainian region.

The loans for the National Front from the Russian-owned bank came due to "growing evidence of a secret Kremlin campaign to buy influence in European politics," writes The Times.

He who pays the piper calls the tune

French politician Bruno Le Maire, a former minister in the government, who works for the leadership of the center-right Union for a Popular Movement, said it was unimaginable that the loans would not have Russian influence on Le Pen's positions: "You are always indebted to the one who gives you the loan," he said.

The French National Front has "long struggled to raise the cash needed to serve its political ambitions".

Party treasurer Wallerand de Saint-Just said the loans would be used to finance campaign costs leading up to the French national elections in 2017, for which the party needs approximately "30 to 40 million euros".

Last month, Vincent Jauvert claimed in the French weekly "Le Nouvel Observateur" that National Front leaders were in regular communication with the Russian ambassador in Paris, Alexander Orlov.

"The Kremlin has bet on the National Front," Jauvert said. "They believe that this party is capable of taking power in France and potentially reversing the course of European history in favor of Moscow," reports NAP.