Putin’s Russia – can hitting rock bottom destroy the system?
The election of the Russian Duma was a paradox. On the one hand, fourteen parties were on the list; only seven parties were permitted to run five years ago. Ela Pamfilova, considered to be a liberal, has replaced an old associate of Vladimir Putin, Vladimir Churov as the Chairwoman of the Central Election Commission and PARNAS (People’s Freedom Party). Other opposition parties’ representatives have openly criticized the President live, on national television. […]