Putin’s Regime on the Path to More Repression: After Russia’s Regional Elections

Abstract

In the Russian regional elections on 8 September 2019, the ruling party United Russia managed to largely hold on its control over state assemblies and governorships. Even in Moscow, where United Russia was significantly weakened, there was no liberal breakthrough. But the elections did not solve any of the inherent political and social tensions - it only made them more visible. Thus, protest potential is going to remain high, which will likely cause the regime to become even more repressive.