The political framework of Russia

Political Outline

Current Political Leaders

President: Vladimir Vladimirovich PUTIN (since 7 May 2012 ; re-elected in March 2024) - United Russia
Prime Minister: Mikhail Vladimirovich MISHUSTIN (since 16 January 2020) - United Russia

Next Election Dates

Presidential: 2030
State Duma: September 2026

Current Political Context

On February 24th 2022, Russia initiated a military conflict on the Ukrainian territory, which profoundly upsets the current political context in both countries and will have substantial political and economic ramifications. For the ongoing updates on the developments of Russia-Ukraine conflict please consult the dedicated pages on BBC News.

With 87.3% of the vote and a record turnout of 77.5%, Vladimir Putin won a second term in the March 2024 presidential elections, guaranteeing his position until at least 2030. The election's fairness was contested, nevertheless, as official media pushed narratives in favour of the administration while suppressing critics. Notably, Alexei Navalny died in a Siberian prison colony under mysterious circumstances, and Mikhail Khodorkovsky was imprisoned. Putin may be able to stay in office until 2036 after constitutional amendments eliminated term restrictions and legal reform in 2008 increased presidential tenure to six years. He kept Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in place while restructuring the Russian cabinet, with six new appointees out of the 21 ministers. Andrei Belousov's nomination as defence minister was the biggest shift. Belousov, the former first deputy prime minister in charge of Russia's socioeconomic development, was seen as a calculated move that demonstrated Putin's sustained emphasis on keeping the economy operating at war level in the face of continuous security issues and international tensions. Putin's next term places a strong emphasis on raising R&D expenditures, increasing the birth rate, and maintaining nationalist policies. Economic self-sufficiency is currently given priority, with the goal of bringing imports down to 17% of GDP and achieving technical independence in areas like artificial intelligence, space, and energy. In the face of shifting global alliances, Russia stepped up its efforts in 2024 to deepen its connections with China, India, North Korea, and other BRICS and non-aligned nations by extending trade, security, and technology cooperation. However, there were a number of setbacks, such as the overthrow of the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad, which Russia supported, and the invasion of the Kursk region by Ukraine. Since Donald Trump's election as President of the United States, there have been indications of potential negotiations to reach an armistice in Ukraine, as Trump has indicated a desire to negotiate directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin to achieve a significant resolution to the conflict.

Main Political Parties

In Russia, the powers of the executive were greatly increased by the adoption of a new constitution in 1993. The political apparatus is overwhelmingly in the hands of the United Russia party. While opposition parties are authorised, there is little chance for these parties to wield any real power. The main parties are:

- United Russia: centrist, remains the largest and seemingly most popular party in Russia, self-declared focus on 'Russian conservatism'
- Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF): left-wing, seeks to establish modern socialism
- A Just Russia (CP): centre-left, ally of United Russia
- Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR): far-right, opposes communism and capitalism, self-described as centrist, an extreme right nationalist political party
- New People: liberal, centrist.

Executive Power

The President is the Head of State, elected by universal suffrage for a six-year term since 2012 (previously four years). He is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and holds extensive executive powers, making him the real center of power in the country. The Prime Minister is the Head of Government. He is appointed by the President, subject to approval by the lower house of Parliament (the State Duma), and manages the everyday business of the country but operates under the President's significant influence, as the President can dismiss him and directly shape major policy decisions.

Legislative Power

Russia has a two-chamber legislative power. The Parliament, called the Federal Assembly, is composed of: the Council of the Federation (upper chamber), which has 170 seats. Its members are appointed by regional governors and legislative institutions for terms without a fixed limit. The State Duma (lower chamber) has 450 seats, and its members are elected by direct universal suffrage through a mixed electoral system for a five-year term (since 2011, previously four years). The State Duma now includes three representatives from the "Republic of Crimea," while the Federation Council includes two from the "Republic of Crimea" and two from the "Federal City of Sevastopol," regions that Russia occupied and claimed to annex from Ukraine in 2014, a move widely unrecognized by the international community.

Indicator of Freedom of the Press

World Rank:

150/180

Indicator of Political Freedom

Ranking:

Not Free

Political Freedom:

7/7

Political freedom in the world (interactive map)
Source: Freedom in the World Report, Freedom House