Tsarizm
The upcoming parliamentary elections, scheduled for September 19, will unlikely change Russia’s geopolitical course. Voting is not expected to have an impact on the country’s domestic policy either, and many Russians seem to be tired of the Western-style democracy imposed on them after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991.
According to the Levada Center polling agency, 49 percent of Russian respondents would prefer to live in a Soviet political system. That, however, does not mean that the Communist Party will win the Duma elections. Latest polls suggest the ruling United Russia (UR) party will maintain its legislative majority, while the Communists will preserve the status of the largest systemic opposition political party in the Russian Parliament. Besides them, the far-right Liberal Democratic Party led by the controversial figure Vladimir Zhirnovsky, and the A Just Russia — For Truth party are expected to cross the five percent election threshold. In other words, nothing will change.
Even though United Russia reportedly owns its lowest rating since 2008, it is not probable that “the Party of Crooks and Thieves” – which is how many Russians describe the ruling party – will lose the elections. It is even less likely that pro-Western forces will play a significant role in the new parliament. According to some surveys, the current positions of the systemic-opposition parties are stable, which means the UR can count on 28-30 percent of the vote, while the Communist Party of the Russian Federation is supported by 16-18 percent of the Russian voters. Zhirinovsky’s LDPR is expected to get some eight percent of the vote, and A Just Russia — For Truth can count on seven percent.
