Elections in Russia: Outcome and Perspectives
by Leonid Krieger
Parliamentary elections were held in Russia on 17-19 September. They were accompanied by unprecedented fraud and intimidation. Despite all the efforts of grassroots activists, Vladimir Putin’s “United Russia” party retained a constitutional majority in the State Duma (Russian parliament). This means that “United Russia” does not need to enter into a coalition with other parties to pass the laws the regime needs. The Russian people expect another 5 years of intensified state repression and the continuation of austerity policies.
What changes, albeit insignificant at this stage, did the elections bring? And what should we do now? To answer these questions, let’s go back to the beginning of the campaign.
On 6 June an important event took place in Moscow, the no...
