| Author (Corporate) | European Parliament: European Parliamentary Research Service |
|---|---|
| Series Title | Briefing |
| Series Details | March 2018 |
| Publication Date | March 2018 |
| Content Type | Journal | Series | Blog |
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On 18 March 2018, Russians would elect the president who would govern their country for the next six years. Incumbent, Vladimir Putin was firmly on track to win, with approval ratings that have stayed above 80% since Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. Russians saw him as a strong president, who had brought order to the country and restored its great power status. They were worried about the economy, poverty and corruption, but these problems, though partly blamed on Putin, had barely dented his popularity. Reportedly, Putin's campaign had set a twin target of a 70% vote in his favour and a 70% turnout. Polls suggest that Putin would indeed win by a record margin, but also that a low turnout would tarnish his victory, denying him a ringing endorsement at the start of his fourth and probably final term in office. Apathy would probably be the main reason for voters staying at home, but some would heed an election boycott called by Alexey Navalny, Putin's most vocal opponent, who had been barred from the race. Vying for second place were seven other candidates. The most likely runners-up were veteran Vladimir Zhirinovsky and newcomer Pavel Grudinin. Reality TV star Xenia Sobchak added colour to an otherwise lacklustre campaign, but few saw her as a credible candidate. Widespread electoral fraud on the day of the vote was not expected. Nevertheless, the exclusion of Alexey Navalny and the lack of any real alternative to Putin raised questions about the democratic legitimacy of the election. Author: Martin Russell |
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| Source Link | Link to Main Source http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2018/614738/EPRS_BRI(2018)614738_EN.pdf |
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| Countries / Regions | Russia |
