Moscow’s security apparatus is currently under pressure to protect President Vladimir Putin. His fifth inauguration is scheduled for Tuesday. The system is not yet shaking. Putin lives “in a small circle of subservient courtiers,” says political scientist Maxim Samorukov of the American think tank Carnegie.
These courtiers would only feed his ‘prejudices, resentments and delusions’. Wrong decisions could lead to the collapse of the system, Samorukov said. “Everything can get out of hand at any moment.” So the danger comes from the inner core itself, and not from Putin’s opponents, as the opposition is fragmented.
The apparatus of power is brimming with self-confidence
In the third year of the war in Ukraine, Putin’s power apparatus is brimming with self-confidence. Western sanctions have so far failed to stop Russia’s war machine or bring the country to its knees economically. The president has repeatedly stated that he aims for a new multipolar world order – away from American supremacy. The war in Ukraine is being framed as a battle against NATO and the West as a whole.
According to experts, a good employment situation and a stable income create loyalty among the population. “Putin’s system today seems more invulnerable than ever,” Samorukov analyzed. Still, analysts say others could try to seize power. Influential groups are attacking each other “even more actively” than before the war, says political scientist Andrei Pertsev, a colleague of Samorukov. Recently, a deputy of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was jailed on corruption charges (see video above).
Even more repression
Experts expect political repression to intensify in the coming years. The leader of the Kremlin has been in power for almost a quarter of a century. After the inauguration on Tuesday, he will appoint a new government, as the existing one traditionally resigns. However, changes are unlikely.
Source: Krone
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