Most of Russia’s current political parties appear to be sufficiently consolidated to be able to remain on the political stage over the medium term. They have an adequate personnel base and an established core vote. Above all, however, they demonstrate flexibility and an ability to reinvent themselves. Nevertheless, the Russian political system is still far from the ideal of a pluralistic democracy on the Western European model, not least because since the “wild years” of the Yeltsin era the institutional “rules of the game” have changed constantly and even the actors have been subject to continuous transformation.

The Russian system of government is essentially defined by the strong position of the president. Since the introduction of this office at the beginning of the 1990s the president has commanded a wider voter and supporter base than the parties which do the groundwork for him. There has therefore been no reason for either Yeltsin or Putin to tie himself to a party or even to become dependent on any party. Both presidents have preferred direct communication with the population, above the parties’ heads. The Russian president can therefore afford largely to ignore the parties since the Parliament’s ability to influence the executive is negligible. Critics of the Russian system of government see neo-tsarist tendencies in it.

The state-loyal and government-supporting parties which have emerged under these conditions are distinct from the “dominant” parties in other political systems, for example, the Indian Congress Party or the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party. In the latter the leader emerges from the party and the party influences policy and the decisions of the executive via internal mechanisms. In Russia, in contrast, the so-called “parties of power” seek the Kremlin’s favor through good behavior. They voluntarily make themselves dependent on the executive, do the groundwork for it in Parliament and in the public sphere, and all in the hope of participating in power at least a little.

The most important of the parties close to the Kremlin is One Russia which enjoys a two-thirds majority in the State Duma and has been more successful in regional elections than any other party. The Liberal Democratic Party and the People’s Party may also be considered close to the Kremlin and are reliable supporters of the executive. Most parties in the Russian party system, regardless of their proximity to or distance from the government, are opposed to reform. This includes the strongest force on the opposition side, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation which is the only real members’ party in Russia. Several of the larger parties are single-issue parties, like the Pensioners’ Party or the Agrarian Party.