…local elections. that’s probably where the similarities end. the local election here, for example, encompassed a region larger than europe (as long as you understand that europe doesn’t include the russian part of europe – the russians don’t think of themselves as european anymore than most of the english do). there was also a difference at the polling stations. whereas in britain you roll up, cast your vote and leave, here they had parties at the polling stations – food, drink and music. if this wasn’t enough to make you want to scrawl an ‘x’ in a box, they also had a free scratchcard lottery on the go with the top prizes being six cars and a flat. you didn’t even have to vote to enter, just turn up. if it was your first vote, you got a framed certificate and a t-shirt. all of this seemed to work as turnout was a healthy 60-something%.
perhaps the biggest difference, however, was the result. whereas blair was quick to dismiss losing a 1000-odd seats as par for the mid-term course, here putin suffered no such reversal of fortune. on the contrary, although putin does not officially belong to any party, the party he is associated with took 90% of the seats up for grabs. this is not because russia is secretly a one-party state, as some of the media coverage might suggest, but because they genuinely adore putin. i think people liked blair the first week he was in office, but other than that i don’t remember a time when a prime minister in my lifetime was ever close to receiving the sort of adoration putin does here. the vast majority of people are just plain grateful that he has established and maintained the kind of stability and prosperity we take for granted in britain. the only concern people seem to have about putin is that he will have to leave at the end of the year when his second term is up. in britain, on the other hand, i don’t even think mrs blair wants to see her husband stay in office any longer than it takes for him to pick up his coat and turn off the light.
