The results of the 2026 Russian Parliamentary Elections last week were a foregone conclusion under tyrant Vladimir Putin, the ex-Soviet intelligence officer who has ruled the Russian Federation since 1999. Putin’s party won a majority of the votes and seats as elections in Russia are not free and fair. Basic freedoms are hardly tolerated and only parties that are not sharply critical of Putin are permitted to participate in the elections. Opposition leaders, human rights advocates, critics, journalists, whistleblowers and anyone Putin feels threatened by are persecuted, imprisoned, driven into exile or murdered, either in Russia or abroad. “Systemic opposition” parties that allow the Kremlin to make it appear as if Russia has competitive elections among multiple parties win votes and seats in the Russian Parliament, but never enough to threaten the regime. Indeed, the two largest, the Communists and the ultra-nationalists serve the purpose of making Putin seem moderate by contrast. There are smaller center-left and center-right parties, as well as other parties across the spectrum or single-issue parties, but they collectively only win a few seats, if any. The main center-right systemic opposition party did gain in votes and seats, but it is regarded by the Russian opposition, which is mostly on the center right, as a spoiler.
Although opposition parties sometimes win local elections, there are no free and fair national elections in Russia and there will not be any as long as Czar Putin rules.
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