Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Vladimir Putin Reelected as President of Russia, Widow of Alexei Navalny Writes Husband's Name on Ballot Instead

In the third day of the Russian presidential election, thousands lined up at polling stations abroad.
However, inside Russia, few dared to cast a protest vote against the Kremlin's ruler at noon. According to Sunday evening's exit polls, Vladimir Putin won his fifth term as president with 87 percent of the votes.

The VCIOM public opinion research organization published its exit poll results for the Russian presidential election on Sunday evening at 7 p.m. Central European Time, following the closing of the polls in Kaliningrad. The polls indicate that Vladimir Putin has won the three-day election with 87.8 percent of the vote, commencing his fifth presidential term. According to VCIOM, among the other nominal and inconsequential candidates, Communist Nikolai Haritonov received 4.6 percent, Vyacheslav Davankov 4.2 percent, and Lemonyid Slutsky of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia garnered 3 percent.

Vladimir Putin has been serving as either the President or Prime Minister of Russia since 1999. Between 1999 and 2000 and again between 2008 and 2012, he was the Prime Minister, and he has been the uninterrupted President since 2000, and again from 2012 onwards.

On Sunday, opponents of the Kremlin queued at foreign polling stations for the "Noon Against Putin" protest campaign, originally initiated by Alexei Navalny. The action was subsequently continued by his widow, Yulia Navalnaya, and former allies. However, this gesture was barely noticeable in the media accessible within Russia, only reported by opposition portals operating in exile. In Russia, only a few intrepid individuals dared to partake in such protest activities due to the Moscow prosecutor's office deeming the noon protest vote an extremist act on Thursday, warning that participants could face several years of imprisonment for "anti-state, extremist" acts.

Possibly influenced by this threat, many opted for more drastic forms of protest, pouring green paint and other liquids into ballot boxes. In Saint Petersburg, a young woman threw a Molotov cocktail at a polling station. At noon in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg, flash mobs were enacted, charging into polling stations. OVD-Info, a group monitoring crackdowns on Russian opposition, reported that around 80 people were detained across 20 Russian cities for participating in the protest voting action.

In Saint Petersburg, a woman threw a firebomb at the entrance of a polling station, while in Kolomna, located 117 kilometers southeast of Moscow, a woman was detained because her 15-year-old son had scribbled on his ballot.

The Moscow Times spoke with a few voters in Voronezh, southern Russia, who turned up for the noon action. A young university lecturer noted that there were relatively few people, and those who did show up came and went quickly. "During the time I was inside the polling station, I saw about 10 people come through. I believe some couldn’t make it, and others were frightened," she said.

Although protesters believe that it's impossible to prevent Vladimir Putin's landslide victory, a 28-year-old man highlighted the necessity to act. "If everyone thinks it's pointless, then nothing will definitely change. The more people who vote against Putin, the harder it will be to manipulate the elections."

Alexei Navalny's widow, Yulia Navalnaya, cast her vote at the Russian embassy in Berlin before 7 p.m. after waiting in line for hours. She thanked those who stood with her and revealed that she wrote the name of her husband, who passed away in a Siberian prison camp on February 16th and who has been barred by Russian authorities from running in the presidential election for the past six years and even now. It is known that several thousand people in Russia voted similarly.

When Sky News asked what she wished to convey to the Russians, Yulia Navalnaya replied, "Be brave, and soon we will triumph."

However, this presidential election had been easily manipulated by the Kremlin from the outset. They disqualified all real opposition candidates, set a goal to exceed all previous levels of participation, and ensured unprecedented support for Putin, securing it on time. They expanded the election to three days and even added online voting options. According to opposition social media and press reports, government employees were coerced into voting on Friday, leading to a system crash. In the Far Eastern regions, voters lined up from dawn on Saturday, some out of conviction and others due to "encouragement" from employers. The Central Election Commission reported on Sunday morning at 10 a.m. Moscow time that participation had already reached 61.09 percent, not including online voters.

Kremlin-aligned Russian media only reported unprecedentedly high turnout, "provocations" by Ukraine near the border, attacks on Belgorod and its surroundings including numerous oil refineries, and a large-scale cyberattack, depicting it as "unsuccessful" foreign attempts to disrupt the presidential election.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
European Union Proposes Reforms to 1951 Refugee Convention
China's Humanoid Robots Poised to Transform Everyday Life and Spiritual Functions
Putin Resurrects Soviet-Era Intervision Song Contest with Fresh Allies
Ten Killed in Mass Shooting at Örebro Adult Education Center
China Retaliates with Tariffs and Investigations Following New U.S. Duties
Alice Weidel, the leader of the AfD, bolsters her international profile by meeting with Viktor Orban.
EU Leaders Convene to Address Defense Strategy in Light of Increasing U.S. Tensions
EU Leaders Convene Key Summit on Defense in Response to Increasing Tensions
Trump Directs Establishment of U.S. Sovereign Wealth Fund, Considers TikTok Purchase
Britain Considers U.S. Gas Imports in Light of Potential Trump Tariffs
French Prime Minister Bayrou Confronts Several No-Confidence Votes Regarding the 2025 Budget
Trump Pursues Ukraine's Rare Earth Minerals in Exchange for U.S. Military Assistance
Trump Wins Again as Canada Agrees to Strengthen Border Security
Trump Seeks Rare Minerals from Ukraine in Exchange for U.S. Support
EU leaders concur on increasing defense expenditure in response to escalating security threats.
Nearly 96% of New Cars Registered in Norway in January Were Electric
Bart De Wever Appointed Belgium's New Prime Minister
Apple Abandons AR Glasses Project Amid Struggles with Technology and Market Demand
U.S. Clinical Trial Investigates Medication to Prolong Dogs' Lifespan
Berlin Protests Against Immigration Crackdown
Apple Surpasses Revenue and Earnings Expectations, But iPhone Sales Disappoint
Bill Gates Reflects on Past Mistakes and Acknowledges Yuval Noah Harari's Insight
TikTok Shapes the Future of Mobile Gaming with Viral Trends
Swedish Prime Minister Admits Loss of Control Over Surge in Violence and Explosions
Patriotism Misrepresented: Merz’s Migration Bill Defeat Exposes Ideological War Fueling Europe’s Instability
Trump Administration Advocates Ukrainian Elections to Promote the Democratic Process Needed to Oppose the War Zelenskiy Supports and Profits From
The Swift Impact: Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift's Relationship Boosts Football's Global Appeal
New Zealand Grants Legal Personhood to Mount Taranaki
Global Semiconductor Industry Faces Persistent Challenges Amid Efforts to Boost Production
Trump Interest in Buying Greenland 'Not a Joke,' Says Marco Rubio
Karoline Leavitt: The Youngest and Probably the Sharpest White House Press Secretary
Germany Passes Motion to Tighten Migration Rules Amid Concerns Over Public Safety and Losing Germany’s Cultural Identity
This is the most important clip you’ll see today.
The 'Chinese Pearl Harbor' on U.S. Tech: DeepSeek's Launch Triggers Market Collapse
Germany’s Democracy Under Strain: Political Labeling Sparks Free Speech Concerns
The Trump Era 2: A Time of Dramatic and Profound Change
BlackRock CEO Larry Fink Suggests Bitcoin Could Reach $700,000 with Increased Institutional Investment
Leaked Documents Reveal Google's Collaboration with Israeli Defense Forces During Gaza Conflict
Trump to Announce $500 Billion AI Infrastructure Investment
Olaf Scholz vs. Elon Musk: A Dispute Over Common Sense, Which Scholz is Deemed to Lack
EU’s Overregulation Drives Innovation Collapse and Brain Drain
Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán: Now it's our moment to shine! It's our opportunity to take over Brussels!
Trump Initiates U.S. Withdrawal from WHO, Citing Concerns Over Organizational Integrity
Trump Just Revoked Security Clearance for the 51 Intel Agents Who Lied About Hunter Biden's Laptop
Five Billionaires on Track to Break One Trillion Dollar Wealth Barrier
Bill Ackman Praises Social Media Platform X as 'The New Media'
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Proposes Rome as European Union Capital
France Urges EU to Act on Musk's Political Influence as Tensions Rise
Controversial Release Culminates in Severe Budapest Collision: The Freeing of a Convicted Human Trafficker
Rising Concerns: The Impact of Synthetic Chemicals on Global Child Health
×