In Russia’s domestic politics, nationalist politics are bound up with the establishment and survival of the regime. Kremlin-backed nationalism is socially conservative and politically delegative. It justifies the existing hierarchy in Russia and places a premium on citizens’ loyalty rather than action. There is a circular relationship between Putin’s political domination and his claim to legitimacy: by ensuring electoral dominance, Putin claims a popular mandate, which validates his articulation of national values and definition of patriotic obligations on behalf of all Russians. The equation is then easily reversed and it becomes one’s patriotic duty to support Putin, especially against those who would disrupt the image of domestic political tranquility.
openDemocracy: Putin, Crimea and the legitimacy trap, March 13, 2014
NY Times: Crimea Vote Deepens Crisis and Draws Denunciations, March 6, 2014
The Guardian: Russia deploys 10,000 troops near Ukraine border, March 14, 2014
openDemocracy: The Crimean ‘Army’, March 14, 2014
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