The Importance of Presidential Elections for Putin’s Legitimacy and Russia’s Future

There is no doubt that Russian elites understand the futility of the course Putin has chosen since the start of a full-scale invasion. However, for now the Kremlin dictator is trying to keep power in his hands.

About it 24 Kanala said political scientist Igor Chalenko. In his opinion, on the eve of the elections, Putin is forced to fight to ensure that the majority of Russians truly approve of his legitimacy.

See also: The West has made up its mind: Zelensky suggested what might happen to Russia after the war

Why presidential elections are important for Putin

A few months ago, Kremlin Speaker Dmitry Peskov made a reservation that elections in Russia are not a manifestation of democracy, but a form of bureaucracy. Nevertheless, it is still important for Putin to have “popular” legitimacy.

“Today, the dictator has nothing to brag about to citizens. This situation is diametrically opposite to what was in Russia after the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula (when Putin’s ratings increased – Channel 24),” the political scientist emphasized.

Now Russian propaganda talks about the fight against global evil in the form of the “collective West.” Previously, the Kremlin tried to give the Russians a victory by illegitimately “annexing” 4 Ukrainian regions to Russia, but this did not work due to Russia’s vague objectives in the war.

Note! Earlier, Putin’s protege in Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, stated that Russia does not need to hold elections, because Putin’s support is indisputable. Before this, other officials made similar statements, including shortly after the end of Prigozhin’s rebellion. Probably, such words from persons controlled by the Kremlin indicate that Putin does not feel very confident on the eve of the elections.

When will the “Putin era” end?

Underground sociology showsthat in general Russians are ready for Putin to leave and for his successor to come to power. However, the dictator himself prefers govern Russia until 2036and this is unprofitable for Russia as a state.

“As we remember, Western leaders do not hesitate to call Putin a dictator, and his regime, accordingly, a dictatorship. And if he remains in power further, Russia will face international isolation even after the end of the war,” Chalenko emphasized.

Igor Chalenko on the mood in Russia on the eve of the presidential elections: watch the video

Russia has no future under Putin’s leadership. So Russian decision-makers may be considering ending the Putin era in 2024.

So far, this idea is not supported by the majority of Russians, but the dictator is already forced to fight it – in particular, by repressing those who do not support him.

What’s happening in Russia “before the elections”

In order to remind voters of his personality, the Russian dictator takes every opportunity to “travel to the regions.” For example, last week he suddenly visited Perm and Rostov, but without much public appearance. At the same time, it was precisely because of the upcoming presidential elections that Putin decided not to carry out mobilization, preparations for which had been going on since at least the beginning of summer. The Kremlin fears that such a measure will contribute to a decline in confidence in the dictator. It is interesting that in general the sentiments of Russians regarding the continuation of the war with Ukraine are generally consistent with the official rhetoric of the Kremlin. For example, almost 2/3 of the citizens of the aggressor country support ending the war in Ukraine, but are not ready to give up the territories seized by their army for this. The Russians also support a new wave of mobilization into the occupation army. At the same time, as the study shows, among the justifications for its implementation, respondents cite the need to more quickly achieve Putin’s goals in the war, including the occupation of Ukrainian cities with a population of over a million.
2023-10-25 01:27:00


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