Russia swears in Tsar Putin this Sunday. Under the superficial appearance of free elections, the president will confirm his power over a society from which he only expects to remain silent and loyal.
Putin, now running for the sixth time, has not participated in a single political debate in his entire life. The only opponent Putin might have feared was recently murdered in prison. The last remaining free voice in Russia, human rights activist Oleg Oleglov, was arrested and sentenced to two years in prison in 2022.