Plebiscite had to be and plebiscite was. Vladimir Putin triumphs in the Russian presidential elections, reaching almost 90% of the vote and confirming himself as President of the Russian Federation for the fifth time. The Russian president will remain in the Kremlin for another six years until 2030, making him the longest-serving leader to lead the country since the time of Catherine the Great (1762-1796), surpassing even Stalin.
Following the practically completed ballot, Putin won 87,29% of votes much more than its historic high reached in 2018 when it reached 76,69%. For the other candidates, however, only crumbs. It takes second place Nikolai Kharitonov, chairman of the State Duma commission for the development of the Far East and the Arctic and a member of the Communist Party, with 4,30%. They follow Vladislav Davankov, vice-president of the Duma and member of Popolo Nuovo, with 3,82%, e Leonid Slutsky, president of the Liberal Democratic Party, with 3,20%.
Russian elections: turnout at 77%, the Kremlin rejoices
THEvoter turnout is estimated at 77,44%, up from the 67,5% recorded in the previous presidential elections in 2018. In the four Ukrainian regions partially controlled by Russian troops and annexed by Russia in 2022 (Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson), yes there is a massive participation, estimated between 80% and 90%. Putin's victory was overwhelming, with percentages reaching up to 95% in Donetsk, 94% in Lugansk, 93% in the Zaporizhzhia region and 88% in the Kherson region. We also await the electronic voting data, great news of these elections. Furthermore, it is the first time that the Russian presidential elections have been held over three days. However, Russia lacks an independent organization capable of verifying all the data communicated.
Analysts believe that the Kremlin had as its main objective to reach at least 70% voter turnout to clearly confirm the re-election of Vladimir Putin.
Putin: “Strong, independent and sovereign Russia”
“I dreamed of one Strong, independent and sovereign Russia. And I hope that the election results will allow us to achieve all these goals together with the Russian people,” he said Vladimir Putin during a meeting with the media at his campaign headquarters, as reported by the Russian Tass agency.
“No one will ever suppress Russia when we are consolidated, we are a united family. No matter how much they tried to scare us, to suppress our will, our conscience, no one has ever succeeded in history. They have failed now and will fail in the future,” the president said. The priority now is “first of all to achieve the objectives of the special military operation, to strengthen our defense capabilities and our armed forces. All the main objectives for the country's development were outlined recently in the speech to the Federal Assembly. And, having the trust of the Russian people, our goal is to do our best to complete all tasks and achieve all set goals,” he concluded.
Putin also expressed thanks to the soldiers fighting in Ukraine and then spoke for the first time about the death of his great opponent Alexei Navalny, died in prison last February: “As for Mr. Navalny: yes, he is dead, and it is always a sad event.” The Russian president confirmed that he had considered exchanging Navalny for Russian detainees in Western countries and that he had accepted the idea but “unfortunately, what happened happened. We wanted to exchange him so that he wouldn't come back, but this death happened, that's life,” Putin concluded.
Elections in Russia: queuing in protest, more than 70 arrested
In the last days of the elections the peaceful protest the “South against Putin”, a peaceful and silent protest that was launched by Navalny before he died in prison and led by Maksim Reznik, former regional deputy of St. Petersburg. Queues were seen at 12pm at various polling stations and embassies, over 74 arrests of peaceful protesters across the country.
“I wrote Alexei's name on the card,” he said Julia Navalnaya, Navalny's wife, after voting for the Russian presidential elections in Berlin, amidst the applause of her supporters.
In Moldova, a man threw two Molotov cocktails at the Russian embassy in Chisinau. These events were not the only acts of protest, as several actions were recorded during election days, including a woman throwing a Molotov cocktail at a polling station in St. Petersburg.
Zelensky “Putin is sick of power”. Use “unfree elections”
International reactions to Putin's victory have also begun. Volodymyr Zelensky, on social media, describes Putin as a man "sick of power" who wants to "reign forever". “It is clear to everyone that this character, as has happened so many times in history, is simply drunk with power and is doing everything he can to reign eternally and there is no evil he will not commit to prolong his personal power,” he said. said the Ukrainian president, defining the Russian vote “without any legitimacy”.
La White House he spoke instead about the elections “neither free nor just”. Great Britain shares the same tone through the voice of the British Foreign Minister, David Cameron: “This is not what a free and fair election should be, voters had no choice.” Also Donald Tusk he condemned the vote as “not legal.” The German president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, has discreetly announced that he will not send letters of congratulations to the re-elected Russian president.
For the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani “The elections in Russia were neither free nor fair and also involved illegally occupied Ukrainian territories. We continue to work for a just peace that will lead Russia to end the war of aggression against Ukraine in compliance with international law."
The former Russian president has a decidedly opposite opinion Dmitry Medvedev, Putin's dolphin, who called this a "sensational victory". Congratulations to Putin also came from Nicolas Maduro, president of Venezuela: "congratulations to the brother Russian people and to President Vladimir Putin for his extraordinary victory" after an impeccable electoral process which in the last three days saw democratic participation in an exemplary manner".
