Preparing for Continuation: The 2021 elections as part of the development of anti-opposition tactics in building-up to 2024 in Russia?

The national and local elections that occurred in Russia in September 2021 were – for the most part – an empty ritual with United Russia retaining a constitutional majority and the same systemic opposition parties winning the rest of the seats in the State Duma. While the emergence of the New People Party was the only difference to a slate of parties that have dominated Russian elections since 2003 the party is still pro-Putin. The results of the elections highlighted that the Russian authorities were still able to ensure victory even if the turnout and interest in the elections were low.

However, the regime also engaged in significant repression in the build-up to the election. Faced with Aleksei Navalny and a re-invigorated opposition – and wanting to ensure that the way is open to Putin to be re-elected in 2024 the regime initiated new repressive measures. In the build-up to the elections, the Russian authorities systematically thinned the nonsystemic opposition and went after non-state media and civil society organisations. This paper investigates the different strategies that the regime has developed in the build-up to the 2021 parliamentary and local elections and how useful these will be in ensuring regime continuity post-2024.