No One in Russia is Going to Vote for Anyone Calling for Country’s Disintegration, Shapovalova Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Feb. 26 – Many Russians favor decentralization and the creation of genuine federalism in which Moscow won’t control everything, Marina Shapovalova says; but no one in Russia will vote for those who call for the country’s disintegration. The fact that some are prompts the question: what can they possibly be thinking?

            “Disintegration” has become such a boogey man in Russia given what happened to the Soviet Union in 1991 that the Kremlin has long been using it to scare Russians and to marginalize those who seek only decentralization, the Russian regionalist activist says (region.expert/fantasm/).

            And those who remain in Russia and hope for a future in politics are only helping the Kremlin leader when they call for the coming apart of the country. They can’t expect to get any support, and they won’t, however much they may feel encouraged by the appeals of their co-ethnics or co-regionalists who are now living abroad.

            Consequently,  those who favor the creation of genuine federalism or even a move toward confederalism should stop coming out in favor of disintegration. Indeed, the only time they should use that term is to point out that Putin, by his policies, is putting the country on the path to collapse and that those backing federalism are the only ones who can prevent disintegration.