Election Alert #5 – Unlevel playing field in regional and local elections
The regional and local elections scheduled on 13 September 2020 are to be the first major electoral campaign in Russia to take place following the passing of the Constitutional amendments and the introduction of the epidemiological restrictions. A total of 9071 campaigns are taking place incl. State Duma by-elections in four districts, elections of 18 […]
Pre-election campaign Russia Single Voting Day 2020
During the election campaign period, a level playing field for candidates has not been secured. Candidates who were supported by the authorities could also count on support from local authorities, courts, and electoral authorities and often did not have to face the restrictions associated with the Covid 19 pandemic when conducting their campaigns. State controlled […]
European politicians to legitimize constitutional changes in Russia
Member of the Berlin Parliament Gunnar Lindemann (left) and Member of the German Bundestag Stefan Keuter (right) both from AfD Germany at the all-Russian voting. Source: Facebook account of Gunnar Lindemann, 25.06.2020 Kremlin-friendly foreign politicians, journalists, lobbyists, and activists have once again been invited to praise the disputed “all-Russian voting” on the constitutional amendments […]
Far-right European politicians to whitewash constitutional vote in Russia
Stefan Keuter, German MP from the far-right AfD speaking to the Russian state-controlled media: “My personal view is that the level of organisation in Russia is higher even than in Germany” Far-right European politicians have once again been invited as politically biased election observers to praise the disputed “all-Russian voting” on the constitutional amendments […]
Policy Alert #4 – How corona thwarts Putin’s plan to change the constitution
Photo: msn.com Fast tracking the president’s constitutional changes The year 2020 was set to bolster Putin’s leadership of Russia’s politics but the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic interfered with the Kremlin’s script. In his January 15, 2020, address to the Federal Assembly, Russia’s president Vladimir Putin surprised many by announcing sweeping constitutional changes. Putin, […]
Election Alert #4 – How corona thwarts Putin’s plan to change the constitution
The pandemic has interrupted Putin’s fast-track constitutional amendment project that would have allowed him to stay in power beyond 2024. An understanding that his popular support may be waning was likely behind the haste. What started as a fail-proof political project is now an uncertain race against a natural calamity. Whenever the vote will take […]
Election alert # 3 – Constitutional amendments in Russia – risk of a legal chaos
Photo: dw.com On January 20, 2020, the president submitted to the State Duma a draft law on amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation “On improving the regulation of certain issues related to the organization of public power”. The highly controversial draft law has already been approved in the first reading by the […]
Russia election alert #3
On January 20, 2020, the president of Russia submitted to the State Duma a draft law on amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation. To pass these amendments, authorities have also proposed to call an “all-Russian vote”. These attempts to amend the constitution by calling such a vote instead of through existing legal procedures […]
Election alert #2 – Outcome of the regional elections and violations encountered by independent observers
Photo: Dmitri Lovetsky/DPA More than five thousand elections on different levels were held in Russia on September 8, on the so-called single voting day. Russian citizens were electing governors of 16 Russian regions, deputies of 13 regional parliaments, mayors of cities, councilors of city and municipal councils. The average turnout was 41.2%, which slightly […]
Russia election alert #2
More than five thousand elections on different levels were held in Russia on September 8, on the so-called single voting day. The average turnout was 41.2%, which slightly exceeded last year’s turnout. In gubernatorial elections, all candidates designated and supported by the Kremlin have won in the first round. However, in the elections to the […]