À quoi sert Russie unie ? Conservatisme et modernisation dans les discours de légitimation du parti du pouvoir

Abstract

With a majority in the Russian Parliament since 2003, the representatives of the ruling United Russia Party justify their domination by reference to the pressing need to strengthen the state. By presenting the stabilization of political life as the sine qua non of the country’s modernization, they define themselves as “conservatives” and frequently refer to foreign (and, in particular, European) political parties. In addition to helping legitimate limitations on pluralism, this self-proclaimed proximity to the state contributes to determining the place of United Russia and its representatives in the political system. By analyzing the content and uses of these legitimation strategies, we underscore the way in which the discourse employed by representatives of United Russia constitutes an attempt to normatively define the political activity in which they themselves are involved. Furthermore, assertions of kinship with certain Western parties invites one to consider the way in which, setting aside static and normative distinctions between regimes, processes for limiting pluralism in Russia contribute to reformulating politics in terms of good governance, modernization and state efficiency. ?