“The low turnout of Putin's electorate could play in favour of the opposition's plan, but only if the anti-Putin electorate mobilises to show up at polling stations. One of the main obstacles to that is the perception among many antiwar Russian citizens that the election is just a spectacle and there is no sense in participating in it. If this reluctance to vote is overcome, then, we may well witness a protest vote significant enough to dent Putin's legitimacy claims, which could dampen the war fervour and plant a seed of doubt in the political elite.”
15 Mar 2024
3
2
Read More