Liberalism in Russia: from the margins of Russian politics to an instrument of geopolitical othering

Abstract

ABSTRACTDespite the lowering of the electoral threshold from 7 to 5% in 2014, the Russian parliamentary elections resulted in a record low voter turnout in Russia of only 48% and an overall loss for the liberal parties. This low turnout shows that even though there is a certain disillusionment within Russia about the current regime, liberal parties are not seen as a viable alternative and largely remain in the margins of Russian politics. The low popularity of Russian liberal parties can be explained by the fact that they are still associated with the failure of Western style democratic reforms during the nineties. This pressure on liberal parties is only intensified by the renewed focus of the ruling elite on the image of a unique Russian civilization in rhetoric. This article aims to answer the question what the effect of this “civilizational nationalism” is on Russian liberalism.