In 2013, the mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin, was seen and wanted to renew his term as head of the Russian capital against Alexei Navalni, then an emerging opposition figure. Ten years later, the picture is completely different. With almost all independent opponents eliminated from political life, and voices critical of the Ukrainian conflict brutally repressed, victory for Sobyanin and the ruling United Russia party candidates was a sure thing in yesterday's regional and local elections in Russia.
In 21 regions, their governors were directly elected. In 20, the legislative assemblies. In four, deputies to the State Duma. In addition, many local elections were held throughout the country.
In the absence of surprises, these elections serve the Kremlin to check the level of support, anger or enthusiasm of the population a few months before the presidential elections of March 2024, which will allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to consolidate power until 2030. .
In some local media, the elections have been interpreted as a referendum, especially in regions prone to protest. This is the case of those in the Far East, with an epicenter in Khabarovsk, where demonstrations against the Kremlin broke out in 2020 after the arrest of the governor, Seguéi Furgal.
That spirit of protest has diminished. “Our political system is well established. In most regions, people vote conservative and an undisputed leader. Not wanting to try something new”, said Gleb Kuznetsov, from the Institute of Experts on Social Studies, in Nezavísima Gazeta.
The area of Russia with the most protest activity has been Moscow. But the opposition leadership has been dismantled. Those who had achieved prominence, such as Alexéi Navalni, Iliá Yashin, Alexéi Górinov or Vladimir Kará-Murzá, have been imprisoned in recent years, as have hundreds of politicians, activists or independent journalists who have demonstrated against the military intervention in Ukraine.
Thus, the rivals of the pro-government candidates had little chance. Opposite Sobyanin were, among others, Boris Chernishov (Liberal-Democratic Party), who participated in a television debate by himself because the other candidates did not attend; or Vladislav Davankov (New People), who admitted that he had no intention of winning.
Yesterday was the official day of these elections, but in most regions voting has taken place for three days. In addition, Russia has organized for ten days elections in the Ukrainian regions of Kherson, Zaporizhia, Donetsk and Luhansk, which Kyiv and its allies have described as "illegal".
