Vladimir Putin is meant to stand for stability, and he used his inaugural address to pledge to strengthen democracy. In fact, his presidency represents a threat to both.
In the lead-up to his inauguration for a third term as Russia’s President, riot police raided cafés, and grabbed people off the streets – even merely for sporting white ribbons, which symbolize opposition to Mr. Putin’s autocratic rule. Two prominent opposition leaders, Alexei Navalny and Sergei Udaltsov, were jailed for disobeying police.
A state that sets upon its opponents, deploys riot police and armoured vehicles to clear peaceful protesters, and detains its critics, is by its nature unstable and undemocratic.
Read more: Putin could reclaim reputation by pursuing a more open Russia - The Globe and Mail
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