Elections in Russia: Vote on War

C hapeau: Putin's United Russia party won a solid majority in last weekend's Duma elections. No significant resistance is expected from the three other parties that will also be represented in the new parliament. Because they are all in line with the Kremlin. Things are going really well for Russian President Vladimir Putin in the truest sense of the word. What more does he want?

In any case, the terrain was well prepared. Critical voices that, like the social-liberal Yabloko party, are not on a war path were, with a few exceptions, excluded from taking part in the election. Debates and election campaigns were non-existent. Members of various professional groups were systematically put under pressure to put their cross in the “right” place or to cast their vote digitally - with the pleasant side effect of providing the authorities with personal, sensitive data free of charge.

And yet: For Putin, it was about something. It was not for nothing that he stylized the election as a declaration of loyalty to the war. Under the impression of Ukrainian attacks on Russia and a deteriorating economic situation, the word has probably gotten around to more and more Russians that there is nothing to be gained from this armed conflict. But under Putin, no one was interested in the opinion of the plebs and will not be in the future.

The taz is an independent, left-wing and opinionated daily newspaper. We have been arguing in our comments, essays and debate texts since the taz was founded in 1979. We often cannot and do not want to agree on an opinion. That's why you'll find some completely opposing positions here - all part of the very broad left-wing spectrum of opinions.

This also includes voting in the occupied Ukrainian territories. It doesn't take much imagination to imagine how that might have happened. Photos of voters casting their ballots in the presence of armed soldiers speak volumes.

This fact should be taken into account, especially by those in the West who are still singing the praises of peace negotiations at any price. These Duma elections were an announcement to continue the war. And that for an indefinite period of time.