Nothing should stand in the way of Vladimir Putin’s re-election. Nevertheless, the Kremlin is afraid of surprises.
The Russians are also casting their vote in the super election year of 2024. However, not for a new president, but for their old president. The Kremlin has already specified the result: at least 75 percent of voters should vote for Vladimir Putin in mid-March; according to these guidelines, voter turnout will be at least 70 percent. If necessary, the authorities will help: Voting also takes place online and lasts three days for the first time.
Election year 2024: Putin is particularly well received in Moscow
In fact, according to the independent polling institute Levada, around 80 percent of Russians support Putin. The popularity is particularly high in wealthy Moscow, although the capital was previously a stronghold for Putin’s opponents. Despite tens of thousands of deaths at the front, resistance to the war is only slowly emerging: mothers and wives across the country are protesting for the return of the mobilized men. Most of the angry women are also calling for an end to the fighting. But according to Levada polls, more than 70 percent of Russians continue to support the war. Western sanctions have not yet caused the economy to collapse. Instead, many people in the province are doing better today than before the war began: the soldiers earn a lot of money, the arms industry is working at full speed, and there are hardly any unemployed people. General anger over corruption is often directed at local politicians – as if Putin doesn’t know and has nothing to do with it.
Many people also like the fact that Russia is scaring the world. They see the West as an enemy that is only interested in destroying, conquering or humiliating Russia. A success of propaganda that can only be effective because it meets old patterns that still come from the Soviet Union. In the totalitarian system, all hopes are placed on the strong ruler to whom the people see no alternative. Political competition has long since been abolished. Putin’s opponents are either in prison or have left the country for fear of prosecution. The Kremlin has not yet approved any candidate who is against the war. The fear of surprises is so great.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
