One Year Before the Election
The new deputy head of the Presidential Administration, Sergei Kirienko, launched his first large-scale initiative to improve regional governance ahead of the 2018 presidential election. Several regional governors having issues with local elites or regional economic development were replaced with young public officials with federal or Moscow region experience. The goal of the change is to give new appointees some time before they need to be approved in local elections in September and then contribute to the ruling elite’s presidential election success.
Alexei Navalny was once again convicted of a crime that legally prevents him from participating in the upcoming presidential election. Despite the verdict’s having been annulled in the European Court of Human Rights, it was upheld once again, in the exact same wording that was initially drafted. However, Navalny continues campaigning to recruit supporters.
A change of rhetoric in the US elite regarding Russia has caused a lasting pause in communication on the Russian side. The fact that Moscow is seen as an enemy across the aisle, and that President Trump has troubles even mentioning Russia, has put the Kremlin in a state of high alert.
Russians are debating what “heartless bus drivers” should do when encountering the situation of a free-riding child onboard in the cold weather. Almost 40% of Russians believe that free-riding children should be reported to the police, while another 40% think they should be let free-riding.
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