Campaign with no struggle
President Putin has put Russia’s relations with the West at the center of his unofficial campaign. He did not participate in any of the debates, and overall, the pre-election landscape looks as if all other participants have been competing against one other, with none of them anywhere near competing with Putin. Putin’s Address to the Federal Assembly was mostly determined by the upcoming election, and his intense use of nuclear weapon rhetoric and imagery served his purpose.
As the fighting in Syria continues, the Russian elite and state media are avoiding digging deep into what is going on in the country in order not to contradict the victory already proclaimed by the President. However, incoming reports about Russian military personnel and private military companies officers do get coverage and public attention.
The Kremlin launched a full-scale campaign against corruption and crime among government officials in the Republic of Dagestan, the largest and one of the most complicated federal entities in the North Caucasus region. Disappointed in all previous attempts to improve governance in one of the poorest republics, Putin appointed a former police general to rule there and sanctioned the arrests of the highest ranking local public officials, including the republic’s prime minister.
Most Russians believe that global science is progressing, and about half of them think that it produces discoveries that have an impact on society. At the same time, the majority of Russians believe that Russian scientific research is slightly, yet not significantly, behind global research. An optimistic perspective on Russian science is significantly higher among people with basic education and who live outside of major cities.
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