Background
In 1993, two years after the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia adopted a new Constitution which outlined a separation of powers between the executive, judicial, and legislative branches. The legislative branch is the Federal Assembly, which consists of the State Duma and the Federation Council. The judicial branch has a multi-leveled court system and the executive branch is centered around the office of the President. In theory, this constitution allows for multiparty democracy, yet some experts believe that under the administration of President Vladimir Putin, a “managed democracy” has emerged. A “managed democracy” refers to a system where one “party of power” supports the state’s agenda and smaller, state-approved opposition parties work to divide true opposition.
Scholars have noted that Russia does not have a strong political party system, as seen in Western-style democratic systems such as the United States.The political spectrum in Russia differs from the political spectrum that defines the American political party system. Though there are a plethora of distinct Russian political ideologies, most embrace beliefs most akin to an American’s notion of social conservatism in regards to socio-cultural issues, valuing tradition and the traditional Russian sphere of influence. However, key differences emerge between the parties in regards to economic policy, with the economic left supporting collectivism and a return to Soviet-era renationalization of private industry, and the economic right advocating for a free market. Due to Russia’s long cultural and political history of autocracy, many modern Russian political parties tend to favor a more authoritarian government. Figure 1 illustrates the political leanings of the major political parties discussed in this brief.
Figure 1. Political Typologies of Major Russian Political Parties
United Russia
The “party of power” in Russia is United Russia (UR), which was founded in early 2000 after a merger of the Unity, Fatherland, and All Russia parties. It is the largest political party in the Russian Federation, holding 324 seats out of the 450 seats in the State Duma. The party’s leader is Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former President and the Prime Minister under Putin’s third term as president. United Russia has been referred to as a “big tent party” because it lacks a singular, cohesive party ideology and favors backing specific individuals. It often has ideological leniency when developing and implementing new policies. However, the party’s actions whilst in power suggest it supports economic liberalism, strong state regulation, and Russian conservatism. Furthermore, United Russia has supported legislation expanding public assistance and social programs that include efforts to improve educational opportunities and stimulate the labor market, which reflects the party’s official goals. Party support has been on the decline in recent years, forcing Putin to bring favored politicians into party leadership.
Communist Party of the Russian Federation
The Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) is the far-left successor of the CPSU (Communist Party of the Soviet Union) and the second largest party. It favors strong state power and collectivism but often agrees with United Russia on social issues, such as the controversial “anti-gay propaganda bill”. Though the party acts as an institutional opposition to United Russia, it still often approves pro-Kremlin legislation. The party’s leader, Gennady Zyuganov, has run for president four times, campaigning chiefly on nostalgia for the Soviet Union, with the CPRF party platform urging for a reversal of the economic liberalization policies instituted following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Many argue that Zyuganov can be considered a Russian nationalist due to his frequent attacks against the West and support of the 2014 annexation of Crimea.
Liberal Democratic Party of Russia
The Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) is a far-right political party that opposes both economic liberalization and the Socialist economic policies of the Soviet Union, opting instead to support Russian ethnic nationalism. Though purportedly an oppositional party to United Russia, the LDPR often supports the actions of United Russia, while at the same time calling for more radical action. Its leader, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, is perhaps best known for his brash and nationalistic rhetoric, often campaigning on outlandish promises, most often anti-West, racist, and completely unfeasible, including calling for the annexation of Alaska, the expelling of all Chinese immigrants from Russia’s Far Eastern territories, and the dissolution of all Russian political parties in favor of the establishment of a hereditary monarchy. Zhirinovsky remains a popular politician in the contemporary Russian political system, with LDPR often performing second or third best in nation-wide elections.
A Just Russia
A Just Russia, known also as simply Just Russia, was founded in 2006 as a result of the merger between the Russian Party of Life, Rodina, and the Russian Pensioners Party. The party is center-left and supports socialism, considering itself an alternative to the more radical CPRF. Just Russia acts as another institutional opposition party because it competes against United Russia in elections. However, elected members of Just Russia often support the actions of Putin’s administration, and the party leader, Sergey Mironov, is a long-time ally of Putin. Mironov has advocated for the expansion of social programs, tax reform, increased investment in infrastructure, and protecting Russian interests abroad. While Just Russia is the most moderate of the established Russian political parties, Mironov and other party leaders have vehemently rejected climate change. Recently, Just Russia has announced its plans to merge with “For Truth” and “Patriots of Russia”, creating uncertainty in the future of the faction as the parties vary in their respective positions on domestic policy.
Russia of the Future
Russia of the Future, also referred to as Navalny’s Party, strongly opposes Putin’s regime. It advocates for liberal reforms and the decentralization of Russian state power, with party support lying chiefly with younger demographics in the urban centers of St. Petersburg and Moscow. It has not been recognized by the Ministry of Justice as an official political party, due to opposition from the Putin Administration and the party’s purported inability to meet the 5% national threshold of support required. The face of Russia of the Future and its movement, Alexei Navalny, had attempted to run for President but was controversially disqualified from the presidential elections in 2018. He was charged with embezzling several hundred thousand dollars from a lumber company. Navalny has a history of involvement in xenophobic and nationalist circles that have spurred a debate on whether he should considered a liberal or a nationalist. Nevertheless, he is a symbol of opposition and an anti-corruption activist to foreign observers. Prior to his political involvement Navalny founded (FBK), a non-profit committed to exposing corruption amongst key Russian politicians. Recently, Russian courts have recognized FBK as an extremist group, and lawmakers have proposed what has been dubbed as an “anti-FBK law”.
In August of 2020, Navalny allegedly suffered an assassination attempt with orchestrated by the Kremlin and its security services. However, Putin denies these allegations and blames the US for spreading this narrative. Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service asserted that Navalny violated his parole while abroad and receiving medical treatment, claiming Navalny had failed to routinely report to his parole officer at the available Russian consulates, granting them grounds to file a motion for his arrest on his subsequent return to Russia. In early 2021, upon landing in Moscow, Navalny was imprisoned for parole violations connected with his previous charges of embezzlement, motivating a series of internationally-covered protests by his supporters.
Significance
The inter-party actions that define the internal politics of the Russian Federation carry serious implications for how the country interacts with other nations, particularly those in the Western world. Understanding Russia’s political party relations allows for greater insight into how the government determines its domestic and foreign policies, particularly as it pertains to its relationship with the United States.
