Managing Russia's New Political Landscape

Russia's recent parliamentary and presidential elections and subsequent large, countrywide protests have demonstrated levels of political competition virtually unprecedented since Vladimir Putin first became president in 1999. In the elections, Putin's ruling United Russia party nearly lost its majority in the parliament and several new parties gained ground.

The emergence of new political parties, decline of United Russia and the Kremlin's less heavy-handed approach to governing the country are already are being felt on the local level, where opposition figures are gaining power. With a number of local elections scheduled for later in 2012, Putin is under pressure to maintain his authority, but his long-term strategy for doing so remains unclear.