In the Russian presidential elections, Vladimir Putin obtains a large majority of the votes, consolidating his authority within the country. The Tsar he was elected for the fifth time elected with almost 88% of the votes. A plebiscite, as expected, despite the war in Ukraine and the death of Alexei Navalny. Or maybe even thanks to this.
The definitive data
When the Central Election Commission calculated the votes of 99.65 percent of the counted votes, Putin is leading the presidential elections of the Russian Federation with 87.32 percent. Followed by Nikolaj Kharitonov (Communist Party) with 4.30% of the votes; Vladislav Davankov (Popolo Nuovo) with 3.82% of the votes; and Leonid Slutsky (Liberal Democratic Party) with 3.20%. The voter turnout was 74.3% (against 67.54% in 2018), just as the Tsar hoped to consolidate her power.
Voting operations in Russia
At least 100 people were arrested during the voting operations, but for observers of Zambia, Nigeria And Central Africa the elections were held according to democratic rules. And if they say so… During one of his public appearances from the electoral committee, Putin returned to mention for the first time in public his political opponent who died in prison in Siberia. “As for Mr. Navalny. Yes, he is dead. It is an unpleasant fact,” Putin said, adding that the possibility of a prisoner exchange had been considered before Navalny’s death.
The war in Ukraine
On the international level, Russia’s positions on the Ukrainian crisis remain firm. In the face of global pressure, Putin highlighted the Russia’s willingness to negotiate with Ukraine, but he set conditions: the negotiations must not be used as a pretext for Kiev’s rearmament. This perspective was reiterated in response to a proposal for an Olympic truce put forward by French President Emmanuel Macron, with Putin demonstrating openness towards solutions that protect Russian interests and the current situation on the battlefields. “It was an illegitimate election – Zelensky replied – the only seat Putin needs is that of a defendant at the Hague Tribunal”.
The USA: “Voting neither free nor fair”
There was no shortage of digs at the American adversary. If the White House labeled the elections “neither free nor fair”Putin received the congratulations of Xi Jinping (another man who knows a lot about democracy) and reiterated that “Taiwan belongs to China”, that “relations with Beijing are excellent and will improve”.
The clash with NATO
Regarding the potential clash with NATO, Putin expressed concern about the high probability of a large-scale conflict. “In the event of an extended conflict between Russia and NATO, the world would find itself on the brink of a third world war,” he declared, highlighting how almost no one has an interest in such a scenario. What is certain, for now, is that the West will have to deal with the Tsar for a long time to come. At least until 2030, when it will surpass Stalin for longevity in power of Russia.
Franco Lodige, 18 March 2024
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The article The triumph of Putin, re-elected by plebiscite comes from Nicola Porro.