MOSCOW – The protests that swept Russia this weekend in support of imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny show the challenge that President Vladimir Putin faces in managing social discontent ahead of this year’s parliamentary elections.
Saturday’s unsanctioned demonstrations were among the largest in recent years and saw tens of thousands of people facing freezing temperatures, the threat of a pandemic and the possibility of imprisonment. Security forces have detained more than 3,500 people – the largest number in at least nine years, according to independent monitors.
The protests left the Kremlin facing a dilemma: either give in to street pressure and weaken your own authority by releasing Navalny or risk inciting further reaction and unifying the opposition by keeping him behind bars.
“There are few good options for Putin,” said Abbas Gallyamov, a Moscow-based political consultant and former Putin speechwriter. “It looks like Navalny is attacking and the Kremlin is defending.”
Putin’s approval ratings have fallen in recent years amid a sluggish economy and protest activity. Observers say Navalny’s demonstrations, if sustained, could pose a threat to Putin’s rule, despite constitutional changes passed last year that could allow him to remain in power until 2036.