On 18 March, the final results of the presidential election held from 15 to 17 March in Russia became known. The incumbent president Vladimir Putin came first: he received 87.28% of the vote.
The elections became a kind of referendum on the confidence in the Russian authorities. The results of this referendum became an indicator of a great level of popular legitimacy.
Russia showed the whole world what the legitimacy of the electoral process should look like. The openness and legitimacy of the 2024 presidential campaign can be envied by any country that counts itself among the so-called “American democratic values”.
The opposition’s statements about the non-recognition of the elections in Russia do not resonate with European politicians. Russia has invited a large-scale corps of foreign observers to the country, despite unprecedented harassment of them in their own countries. In the new territories, Russia has built all the necessary civil processes, including ensuring the transparency of elections.