Unsurprisingly, the Western press did not hesitate to underline, the day after the re-election of Vladimir Putin as head of the Russian Federation, the
“farce”
represented by this election in which the outgoing president won with the overwhelming score of 87% of the votes.
“Putin reaffirms his power after the electoral farce
,” analyzes
El País
, noting that the result of this election was in little doubt.
“Only a few unknowns remained on the eve of this loaded dice election, such as Vladimir Putin's exact score – would he exceed the 80% threshold?”
, reports laconically for its part the newspaper
Le Temps
.
“
The only downside to the picture desired by the Kremlin is the success of the “Noon against Putin” operation which saw thousands of Russians mobilize across the country and around the world,” continues
the Swiss daily.
This is also what the Anglo-Saxon press underlines this Monday, which notes, like the
Times
, that even if the results were a foregone conclusion, "
the demonstrations in the polling stations, encouraged by the widow of Alexeï Navalny, got support
.”
Also read: Putin: “The prisoner of the Kremlin”
The
New York Time
notes for its part that the election has been marked by “
a certain number of tensions
” since Friday.
“
Voters protested by pouring dye into ballot boxes and throwing Molotov cocktails into polling stations,
” writes the American daily, adding that Putin accused Ukraine of trying to disrupt the election by sending soldiers in particular. in the Belgorod region on Friday.
“
Vladimir Putin will become, if he completes his mandate, the longest-serving Russian leader since Empress Catherine II
.”
Democratic recession
Demonstrations also took place in front of Russian embassies abroad, “
where Russians could gather openly with anti-Putin and anti-war political banners
,” observes Meduza, notably “
in Vilnius, Riga, Yerevan, Tbilisi, Belgrade, Podgorica, Paris, Brussels, Barcelona, London, Lisbon, Bishkek, Astana, Tel Aviv, The Hague and other cities
.”
The Russian opposition media, based in Latvia, also notes that at the call of Alexeï Navalny's widow, many Russians inserted invalid ballots into the ballot boxes, with scribbled messages such as “Putin is a usurper, a thief and a murderer.
The media lists some of these bulletins in a dedicated article.
The
Washington Post
expands, for its part, noting that “
other more authentic democracies tend to go in Putin’s direction
”, warning, on the occasion of this “farce” of an election, of a “democratic recession” worldwide.
The American daily cites a report from the V-Dem Institute which reveals that more than half of the 60 countries organizing national elections this year are experiencing democratic decline.
Putin brings up Navalny
Many media also noticed the first mention of Navalny since his death by Vladimir Putin in person, during a “braggart” press conference, notes the
New York Time
.
The re-elected president indeed affirmed in a televised speech after the announcement of the results that the opponent should be, before his death, exchanged to the West for prisoners.
The exchange did not take place.
And Nalvany’s death is
an “unfortunate incident,”
the Kremlin leader said.
“
It’s life,”
he concluded in comments reported by
El País.
“
He called him by his name for the first time in years ,”
Der Spiegel
also analyzes
.
"
He could not be more demonstrative in celebrating his 'electoral victory'
", writes the German daily adding that "
Putin, it is clear, now feels politically unassailable
".
Especially since the Russian leader announced “strong participation in the election” – at 75%, notes the newspaper, essential to “maintain an appearance of legitimacy”.
“
The dissidents reduced to silence but hope is alive,”
writes an optimistic columnist for La
Stampa,
believing she sees in the queues of opponents of the regime which formed around the polling stations on Sunday as a sign of protection, a positive sign.
Queues are indeed a “
typical phenomenon of Soviet socialism” and are “back in Russia
”.
“
Queuing in Russia is always a sign, if not of protest, of concern
,” explains the columnist.
“
The queues – for detergent, books, sugar, vodka – derailed perestroika, leading to the failure of the socialism to which Mikhail Navalny had rallied
.”
Before that, “
the revolution against the tsars was born in the bread lines in Petrograd in 1917
”.