Steve Rosenberg: Russia’s elections will have few surprises, but for the Kremlin they matter

Steve Rosenberg: Russia's elections will have few surprises, but for the Kremlin they matter. Figure caption, Low expectations that Russia's election will bring peace closer, Steve Rosenberg reportsBySteve RosenbergRussia editor, Reporting fromMoscow and DmitrovPublished3 hours agoThe system of power in Russia is often referred to as "managed democracy" (where the Kremlin does the managing).

What happened

The Kremlin will use it to claim that most Russians back the president and the war, as well as to promote the political careers of soldiers back from Ukraine: officials say nearly two hundred war veterans are taking part in the election. Such "systemic" parties are vital cogs in Russia's Kremlin-centric political machine. That was widely interpreted as a sign of Kremlin concern that anti-war messaging could strike a chord with Russian voters. "Alexei Navalny was Russia's most prominent opposition leader and Kremlin critic who died in prison in 2024.

The Russian authorities insist that the Duma elections are transparent and fair. "Western elections and elections in Russia are completely different things," Grishin explains. "Elections in Russia never bring a change in government.

The wider picture

There is no doubt over the outcome of this vote, but for the Kremlin they are still an important moment. That means huge powers for the president and few political surprises. This weekend's election is set to deliver another parliament dominated by the party of power, United Russia, and a house of MPs fiercely loyal to Vladimir Putin. But the Kremlin doesn't care what the critics say. "We have our own political system, our own political process," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov explained recently.

For the Kremlin, the election of 450 deputies to the lower house of parliament, the Duma, is important. This is the first parliamentary election here since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Image caption, This election is being used to promote the political careers of some military veteransAs for the election campaign, that has provided a window on Russian society four-and-a-half years into the war.

What has been reported

At the final session of parliament in July, MPs stood and applauded as the speaker of the house chanted repeatedly:"Russia, Putin, Victory! As I watched rows of identical-looking loaves speeding along the conveyer I thought about Russia's parliament. But when it comes to backing the Kremlin's legislative initiatives and supporting the "special military operation" they vote the same way. Back in July it was the only anti-war party in Russia to be registered for the election.

"This way, the authorities are setting the boundaries within which they believe the elections should take place. In my opinion, most people in Russia now want peace and Yabloko helped people express this. Last year one of the leaders of a prominent independent election monitoring group in Russia was jailed for five years. Image caption, Olga's son-in-law is fighting in Russia's "special military operation""We feel it," says Olga, whose son-in-law is a soldier in the "special operation".

What happens next

But these elections can't influence what will happen. Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil refineries have sparked widespread fuel shortages, while economic pressures are increasing. "What worries me," says a barber called Ivan, "is that no matter how much you earn it's not enough. "Elections in the West are a way of forming a government, which is replaced later if voters aren't satisfied. But power in Russia never changed because of an election. "Related topicsRussiaWar in UkraineVladimir Putin

Critics dismiss the vote as neither free nor fair.