"Exemplary flogging" of the opposition benefits the opposition

The decision of the Moscow Regional Court to liquidate the National Bolshevik Party caused comments in the press. For example, "Russian Journal" published on June 30, 2005 an article by Anton Shirikov "Playing to Lose".

It is impossible to cope with the radical opposition by institutional and legal measures, since this will only lead to even greater radicalization, but you can only build them into the system, A. Shirikov believes. Nevertheless, the authorities are taking a series of erroneous steps, in the opinion of the author (such as introducing a minimum of 50,000 party members, a 7% barrier in elections, exclusion of blocs from the electoral process, and the abolition of voting "against all" in regional elections), which will inevitably lead to the radicalization of opposition parties. "At the same time, the radicalization of parties will be accompanied by the radicalization of the electorate . " Such steps, according to the author, include the liquidation of actually operating opposition parties.

The liquidation of the NBP, which had no chance of getting into parliament, will only lead to an increase in its popularity - and, ultimately, to the growth of non-systemic opposition. "Through measures to streamline the party system, the technologists of the current administration are actually nurturing political extremism ," concludes A. Shirikov.

Sources

• Shirikov A. Playing for one's own defeat // Russian magazine. 2005. June 30.