On the international political stage, tensions have flared up once again over the Russian elections, which, according to the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, have dealt yet another blow to democracy in Russia. In her sharp criticism, Kallas emphasised that the results of the State Duma election were predictable and that the process itself had been conducted without regard for fundamental democratic norms. She noted that any expressions of dissent had been suppressed, and that the only party to have openly opposed Russia’s policy in Ukraine – Yabloko – had been barred from participating in the elections.
Kallas paid particular attention to the voting in the occupied territories of Ukraine, including Crimea and parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, describing Russia’s actions as illegal and in breach of international law. The European Union has stated that it does not recognise the results of the elections in the occupied territories and is prepared to impose sanctions against those responsible for organising these votes.
Meanwhile, Russia’s ruling United Russia party is consolidating its position, likely to secure around 355 seats in the State Duma — the highest number in the party’s history. With a significant proportion of the votes counted for the federal party lists, ‘United Russia’ has secured more than 57 per cent of the vote, leaving the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF), the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) and the ‘New People’ party behind. Nevertheless, the elections took place against a backdrop of scandals and allegations of irregularities, including the refusal to admit OSCE observers and the removal of independent observers from polling stations.
Despite this, Russia’s Central Electoral Commission continues to compile the final results, allowing time for the consideration of any complaints and alleged irregularities. Whilst the international community has criticised the transparency and legitimacy of the process, Moscow is preparing for the next political cycle with the ruling party’s position strengthened.