Putinism allows no rivals. What about an heir? Putin has led Russia for almost a quarter-century and if he wins reelection, his time in the Kremlin would become longer than Joseph Stalin's Soviet leadership. There is no reason to suspect that Putin will step down at any point.
Putin's dominance over the Russian electoral system has been reinforced as the election looms. The country's only anti-war candidate has been barred from standing and Alexey Navalny, who was poisoned and jailed last year, is also not running. Opposition activist Leonid Volkov dismissed the elections as a circus meant to spread hopelessness among voters.
Russia is holding a presidential election on March 15th, which will likely extend Vladimir Putin's rule for another decade.
The majority of votes will be cast over three days and early voting has already begun in occupied parts of Ukraine where Russian forces are attempting to exert authority. However, the poll is essentially a constitutional box-ticking exercise that carries no prospect of removing Putin from power.
The Russian political system under Putinism is marked by authoritarianism and indifference among many Russians who are complacent with their current situation.
Russia is holding a presidential election on March 15th, which will likely extend Vladimir Putin's rule for another decade. The majority of votes will be cast over three days and early voting has already begun in occupied parts of Ukraine where Russian forces are attempting to exert authority. However, the poll is essentially a constitutional box-ticking exercise that carries no prospect of removing Putin from power.
Putin's dominance over the Russian electoral system has been reinforced as the election looms. The country's only anti-war candidate has been barred from standing and Alexey Navalny, who was poisoned and jailed last year, is also not running. Opposition activist Leonid Volkov dismissed the elections as a circus meant to spread hopelessness among voters.
Putinism allows no rivals. What about an heir? Putin has led Russia for almost a quarter-century and if he wins reelection, his time in the Kremlin would become longer than Joseph Stalin's Soviet leadership. There is no reason to suspect that Putin will step down at any point.
The Russian political system under Putinism is marked by authoritarianism and indifference among many Russians who are complacent with their current situation.
Putin has led Russia for almost a quarter-century.
If he wins reelection, his time in the Kremlin would become longer than Joseph Stalin's Soviet leadership and after that, another six-year term. Putin will be well in his 80s if he serves out both terms.
Putin has survived so well due to a style of leadership that allows no rivals.
Alexei Navalny, Russia's strongest opposition figure in years, died in an Arctic penal colony last month after surviving a poisoning and other attempts on his life. Other potential rivals have also been killed or excluded from the election process.
Putin has little space for heirs as well due to his style of leadership that allows no rivals.
Deception
(90%)
The article is highly deceptive in its portrayal of Putin's leadership. The author presents a one-sided view that ignores the fact that there are opposition figures who have been killed or imprisoned for their views. The author also fails to acknowledge any potential successors, despite evidence suggesting otherwise.
The author claims that there are no rivals to Putin, but this is clearly untrue as there have been opposition figures who have faced persecution or death for their views.
Putin's long-term in power has allowed him to maintain a strong grip on the country and its resources, which could be seen as an asset. However, it also means that he will not step down easily if necessary.
The article states 'Putin has led Russia for almost a quarter-century.' This is false as Putin's first term ended in 2008 and he was not elected again until 2014.
Fallacies
(80%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Bias
(85%)
The article discusses the longevity of Vladimir Putin's rule in Russia and his lack of rivals. The author mentions that Alexei Navalny, a prominent opposition figure who died under mysterious circumstances, was one such rival. Additionally, other potential opponents have also been killed or excluded from elections. This bias is evident throughout the article as it highlights the lack of competition for Putin's position and his ability to maintain power through forceful means.
Putin has led Russia for almost a quarter-century.
Putin has led Russia for almost a quarter-century.
If he wins reelection, his time in the Kremlin would become longer than Joseph Stalin's Soviet leadership and after that, another six-year term. Putin will be well in his 80s if he serves out both terms.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that nobody stood in Putin's way during his return to presidency in 2012 when there were indeed opposition candidates and protests against him. Secondly, the author states that Russia had arrived at something new: wartime Putinism which is partially mobilized for war but also has space left for degrees of complacency and indifference. However, this contradicts the fact that Russia has been involved in an ongoing conflict in Ukraine since 2014 and its actions have led to increased authoritarianism. Lastly, the article suggests that Putin will serve another six-year term after the upcoming election but fails to mention any opposition candidates or their chances of winning.
Many Russians resented his engineered return: before the 2012 presidential election,
Fallacies
(75%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that nobody stood in Putin's way and that the Kremlin inculcated indifference in part by discouraging public participation in politics. This implies that Putin is a powerful figure who has complete control over Russia, which may not be entirely accurate.
Nobody stood in Putin's way
The Kremlin inculcated indifference
Bias
(85%)
The article contains examples of political bias. The author uses language that dehumanizes Putin's opponents and portrays them as being against him for no reason other than their dislike of him. This is evident in the sentence 'Russia Without Putin had been a popular sign at protest rallies.' Additionally, the article implies that Russia's political system has evolved to be authoritarian due to Putin's actions and lack of opposition. The author also uses language such as
Russia Without Putin had been a popular sign at protest rallies.
The Kremlin inculcated in part by discouraging public participation in politics.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The article 'Forever Putinism' by Vladimir Putin published on March 13th, 2024 at <https://www.foreignaffairs.com/russian-federation/vladimir-putin-forever-putinism> has several examples of conflicts of interest.
The article is written by Vladimir Putin himself, who served as the President of Russia from 2000 to 2018 and again since 2014. This creates a conflict of interest because he may have personal biases or interests that could influence his reporting.
Putin has led Russia for almost a quarter-century.
If he wins reelection, his time in the Kremlin would become longer than Joseph Stalin's Soviet leadership and after that, another six-year term. Putin will be well in his 80s if he serves out both terms.
Putin has survived so well due to a style of leadership that allows no rivals.
Alexei Navalny, Russia's strongest opposition figure in years, died in an Arctic penal colony last month after surviving a poisoning and other attempts on his life. Other potential rivals have also been killed or excluded from the election process.
Putin has little space for heirs as well due to his style of leadership that allows no rivals.
Dmitry Medvedev, Putin's best-known disciple, is now deputy chairman of the Security Council and was once seen as a potential reformer but is now known for aggressive nationalism and mocking statements about Ukraine and the West. Other military leaders like Sergei Shoigu are also well known but lack popular support.
Putin could not walk away from power even if he wanted to due to his ability to play the long game in foreign policy.
Many predict that when Putin finally leaves office, there will be a bitter and chaotic power struggle. However, whoever takes over is likely to inherit the state he created with its powerful security services and military.
Deception
(90%)
The article is highly deceptive in its portrayal of the Russian election. It presents a false narrative that there are no rivals to Putin's rule and that Russia has been decimated by opposition forces. The author fails to mention any alternative candidates or political parties running against Putin, despite their existence. Additionally, the article misrepresents Navalny's death as just another blow to Russian opposition when it was actually a significant event in the country's history.
The article presents a false narrative that there are no rivals to Putin's rule.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The first is an appeal to authority when it states that Russia's opposition has been decimated and there are no one to oppose Putin on the ballot anyway. This statement implies that Putin's rule is legitimate because he has no opponents, which ignores the fact that many Russians may not support him or his policies. The second fallacy is a dichotomous depiction when it states that Russian elites with anti-war views have been forced into exile and those remaining in Russia have been kept in check. This statement implies that there are only two options for Russian elites, which oversimplifies the complex political situation in Russia. The third fallacy is an inflammatory rhetoric when it states that people live in a state of aggression finding out who is for and who is against, looking for some virtual enemies and the fifth column. This statement implies that Putin's policies are causing widespread fear and anxiety among Russians, which may not be entirely accurate. The fourth fallacy is an appeal to authority when it states that Russian society is at a point right now where it's experiencing the largest scale of political repressions particularly for expressing one's opinion or exercising one's rights and freedoms. This statement implies that Putin's policies are universally accepted by Russians, which may not be entirely accurate.
There is no one to oppose Putin on the ballot anyway.
Bias
(85%)
The article is biased towards Putin's rule in Russia. The author presents a one-sided view of the situation and portrays Putin as an all-powerful leader with no opposition. They also present examples of how Russian society has been repressed under his rule, including political prisoners, limited resources for human rights advocates, and persecution of LGTBQ+ individuals. The author also mentions that diplomacy and dissent have been evident on the global stage in recent weeks but does not provide any evidence to support this claim.
There is no one to oppose Putin on the ballot anyway.
Putin has been the country's head of state for the entirety of the 21st century and rewritten the rules and conventions of Russia's political system to extend and expand his powers. He is running for president alone in this election, which marks the start of his second term.
The Levada Center reports Putin's approval rating at over 80% as of December 2023, with a substantial increase on the three-year period before the invasion of Ukraine. National security is top of mind for Russians as they approach this election.
Putin has attempted to eliminate opposition leaders from society in order to ensure discontent remains unstructured and leaderless ahead of future elections. Candidates in Russian elections are tightly controlled by the Central Election Commission, enabling Putin to run against a favorable field and reducing the potential for an opposition candidate to gain momentum.
There is notably no candidate who opposes Putin's war in Ukraine; Boris Nadezhdin was barred from standing by the CEC in February after he failed to receive enough legitimate signatures nominating his candidacy. Yekaterina Duntsova, another independent candidate who openly spoke out against the war, was also rejected by the CEC.
Opposition activist and Navalny's former aide Leonid Volkov dismissed the elections as a circus meant to spread hopelessness among voters.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(90%)
The article is a clear example of deception. The author claims that the election will essentially be a constitutional box-ticking exercise and carries no prospect of removing Putin from power. However, this statement contradicts the fact that there are other candidates running in the election who have expressed opposition to Putin's policies.
The article states 'the president’s dominance over the Russian electoral system has already been reinforced as the election looms.' This statement is false as it implies that Putin has complete control over the electoral process. However, this statement contradicts the fact that there are other candidates running in the election who have expressed opposition to Putin's policies.
The article states 'the poll is essentially a constitutional box-ticking exercise that carries no prospect of removing Putin from power.' This statement is false as it implies that there are no other candidates running in the election. However, this statement contradicts the fact that there are other candidates running in the election who have expressed opposition to Putin's policies.
Fallacies
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Bias
(85%)
The article is a news piece about the upcoming presidential election in Russia. The author states that Putin's dominance over the Russian electoral system has already been reinforced as the election looms and that there are no legitimate opposition candidates running. The article also mentions how Putin has used propaganda to spread hopelessness among voters, which is a clear example of political bias.
Putin's dominance over the Russian electoral system has already been reinforced as the election looms.
