From March 15 to 17, Russians will vote to elect their president. Presidential elections take place every six years in Russia. Four people are running this year, but it is the current president, Vladimir Putin, who will be re-elected. His victory is assured. How is it possible ? Why do Russians accept this situation? To help me understand, I spoke to researcher Guillaume Sauvé, a specialist in Russian politics.
Who is running against Putin in the elections?
The three candidates running against Vladimir Putin do not directly criticize him. For example, they criticize Parliament or the police, which are extremely unpopular in Russia. But these are candidates who support the war in Ukraine and who think Putin is great. Applications from those with anti-Putin positions are refused.
Why hold elections then?
It gives an impression of choice for citizens. People who don’t want to vote for Putin can vote for someone else.
What do the Russians think of this way of doing things?
According to relatively reliable polls, around 70% of the population approves of Putin. But there are no other options. So, when Russians are asked “Do you support Vladimir Putin?” “, they are basically asked “Do you support the situation now, or are you so fed up that you prefer to change the entire regime?” »
And why, precisely, don’t they change their diet?
The whole system is designed to prevent people from truly opposing the president. Those who do so are imprisoned or murdered, like Alexeï Navalny. Additionally, Russians have a long history of national tragedies, revolutions, and upheavals. There are many people who prefer not to change anything because, currently, there is no alternative and the change could be worse.
The death of Navalny, a very popular opponent of Putin, is a warning, do you think?
The message was clear from the moment he was poisoned in 2021. The anti-corruption organization founded by Navalny was deemed “extremist”. All his collaborators were imprisoned. The others left the country. It was at this moment that the Russians understood that this kind of opposition was no longer possible.
Can things change?
Yes. There are still many Russians who are not happy with the situation. There are at least 15 to 20% of the population who openly say in polls that they are against the war in Ukraine. Russia has 150 million inhabitants, that’s still 30 million people. That’s a lot of people.
Caroline Bouffard
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