A warning signal for Putin

The mayoral elections in the Russian city of Sochi, where the 2014 Winter Olympics will take place, have shown that only a third of its citizens are willing to show even minimal political commitment, the daily Der Standard writes. Voter turnout was a meagre 38 percent: "Yet the pro-Kremlin United Russia party did its best to ensure plausible coverage … and, according to independent observers, exerted pressure more or less openly above all on government employees to vote in the election. The fact that the voter turnout was so low highlights the level of frustration and anger among the people. It is a warning signal, also for current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, for he was the driving force behind Sochi's successful bid for the Olympics."

» more information (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Sport, » Russia
All available articles from » Josef Kirchengast

» To the complete press review of Tuesday, April 28, 2009