Putin and the Duma Elections

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In The Media

Putin and the Duma Elections

With the March 2012 presidential elections just around the corner, Putin is likely to try to distance himself from an increasingly unpopular United Russia party.

By Matthew Rojansky

Published on Dec 2, 2011

Source: BBC World News

In an interview with BBC World News, Carnegie’s Matthew Rojansky argued that Putin still has a generally positive image despite reports of electoral fraud and the relatively weak victory for the United Russia party in the recent Duma elections. As both the chairman and a non-member of United Russia, Putin will likely “seek to disassociate himself somewhat from the United Russia party” when he believes it might help him in his presidential campaign.Rojansky added that Putin has little time to act before the March 2012 presidential elections, but he could still potentially introduce several “big ticket initiatives” such as tax or pension reforms.

About the Author

Matthew Rojansky

Former Deputy Director, Russia and Eurasia Program

Rojansky, formerly executive director of the Partnership for a Secure America, is an expert on U.S. and Russian national security and nuclear-weapon policies.

Recent Work

Paper
An Opportunity for Ambition: Ukraine’s OSCE Chairmanship
- Matthew Rojansky
In The Media
Presiding Over the OSCE: Challenges and Opportunities
- Matthew Rojansky

Political Reform Caucasus Russia

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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