DISINFO: Unlike in France elections are democratic in Russia: every citizen can endorse candidates
SUMMARY
In Russia, the real opposition (parties like KPRF, LDPR and NL), not the criminals of the non-systemic opposition who are not allowed to run, has equal access, unlike in France where the system is unfair. In France, to register as a candidate, one needs 500 signatures from mayors, and these endorsements are public. In Russia, any citizen can support a candidate and the signature stays confidential, this is way more democratic.
RESPONSE
A recurring pro-Kremlin narrative commending Russian democracy and the legitimacy of Vladimir Putin, while fostering discontent in Europe due to an alleged lack of democracy.
Presidential elections were held in Russia from March 15 to March 17. Acknowledging the impossibility of influencing the primary outcome, numerous opposition politicians emphasised the importance of going to the polling stations to express their dissent. Read more about the polling day protest called Midday against Putin.
The assertion that collecting signatures is easier and more democratic in Russia than in France, thereby enabling smaller candidates to compete, is contradicted by reality.
Twelve candidates participated in the 2022 French elections. In contrast, only one independent candidate competed in the 2024 Russian elections: Vladimir Putin. He collected the 300,000 signatures required as an independent candidate. Three candidates, nominated by established parties of the State Duma, each collected 100,000 signatures. Meanwhile, other candidates were denied registration due to irregularities in their documentation by the Central Electoral Commission, including Yekaterina Duntsova, Boris Nadezhdin, and Sergey Malinkovich.
Russia has for several years refused to formally invite OSCE election observers to monitor elections within its territory. The most recent instance when the OSCE observed elections in Russia was in 2018.
A Council of the EU statement of 18 March 2024 stated:
"The elections took place in an ever-shrinking political space, which has resulted in an alarming increase of violations of civil and political rights, and precluded many candidates from running, including all those opposed to Russia’s illegal war of aggression, deprived Russian voters of a real choice and heavily limited their access to accurate information".
Read also related stories such as: Non-systemic opposition exists in the EU, like in Russia, A majority of the Russians support the path, set by Vladimir Putin, or Alexey Navalny is in prison for economic crimes, or Vladimir Putin was democratically elected unlike Joe Biden, or Russian electoral system is one of the most advanced worldwide, or Russian government, unlike France or the EU, has a legitimacy that comes from the masses.