This talk looks at how the opposition space in Russia has been impacted by and responded to the war in Ukraine. In particular, it analyzes the extent to which the systemic opposition in Russia plays the role of safely channeling criticism versus proselytizing the line given by the government on the war. It will also examine how the non-systemic, or real opposition, has publicly reacted to the war, how the public has reacted to the positions taken by the opposition, and how the opposition has been impacted by the war and the positions they have taken on it, with an eye to the implications this has for what role the pre-war opposition in Russia will be able to play going forward.
Jeremy Ladd researches opposition political parties and movements in electoral authoritarian regimes and emerging democracies. He is particularly interested in explaining why some parties and movements in these contexts are so successful while others are not. He is also interested in how both authoritarians and their opponents are adapting to the digital world. Jeremy’s comparative research is currently focused on Southeast Asia and Russia and the Post-Soviet region. His research on Southeast Asia was recently awarded a Southeast Asia Research Group Fellow award for 2022