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Scientific article

Published:

Pragmatism and protest: Russia’s communist party through Covid-19 and beyond

Written by

Matthew Blackburn
Senior Researcher
Derek Stanford Hutcheson
Professor and Pro Dean at Malmö University

Ed.

eps_cover.webp

Summary:

The Covid-19 epidemic came at a sensitive time for Russia’s leadership, which was attempting a political reset and structural reforms, including the removal of President Putin’s presidential term limits. This article examines how issues related to the pandemic provided new opportunities for the systemic opposition, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, who emerged as the main beneficiaries after capitalising on opportunities created by the epidemic. The underappreciated role of systemic opposition parties in electoral authoritarian systems, which balance “voice” and “loyalty” to benefit both themselves and the regime, is examined in the context of the Covid-19 crisis.

Themes

  • Russia and Eurasia

Written by

Matthew Blackburn
Senior Researcher
Derek Stanford Hutcheson
Professor and Pro Dean at Malmö University

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