Symbiosis of mainstream and extremism

Image: Vladimir Zhirinovsky. Source: Wikimedia commons

• “Democracy always leads to terror, it gave birth to Adolf Hitler as well as to Muslim extremism.” (see Disinformation Review 21).
• “The liberals and the democrats have destroyed everything and they are guilty of everything that’s bad.” (see Disinformation Review 12).
• “Russia will always decide what Ukraine’s foreign policy should be, and it should also decide the foreign policy of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.” (see Disinformation Review 16).

These quotes all from the chairman of the “Liberal and Democratic Party of Russia”, Vladimir Zhirinovsky.

“Let them all die”
Mr Zhirinovsky is a regular guest in the prime-time Russian TV shows of the strongly pro-Kremlin anchors Vladimir Solovyov and Pyotr Tolstoy, where he is usually the most aggressive speaker.

After the Brussels attacks, Zhirinovsky said: “Terrorist attacks will be happening across Europe and it will be beneficial for us. Let them all die.”

Zhirinovsky is not talking for the Kremlin. He is the leader of an opposition party.

Testing public reaction
At the same time, he has been part of the establishment during the 16 years that Vladimir Putin rules Russia, mostly as Vice Chairman of the State Duma (Russian parliament).

Reuters writes: “Although nominally part of the Russian opposition”, Zhirinovsky is widely seen as “floating radical opinions to test public reaction.”

An article in the New York Times by top expert on Russian media and pro-Kremlin disinformation campaigns, Peter Pomerantsev, offers further explanation.