Vladimir Putin's regime rests on several fundamental bases. These include fear, corruption and revanchism. But perhaps the key underpinning of this regime is an omnipresent toxic cynicism.
Cynicism literally manifests itself in everything. From the start of Putin's reign, our society has cynically traded its freedom and civil rights for guaranteed political stability and consumer growth. The elites have cynically agreed to give Putin a monopoly on power in exchange for unlimited access to state resources. Propagandists, lawmakers and civil servants in Russia have enriched themselves with their anti-Western rhetoric and are not above cynically acquiring real estate in the United States and Europe with money received from the Kremlin.
For Putin, cynicism has always been a key political tool, defined with his trademark mocking smile by the saying "who pays for the girl dances with her." He has tried to apply the same tactic to his relations with Western politicians, using bribery schemes and self-enrichment mechanisms everywhere for his European counterparts, while attempting to share the world's spheres of influence with them. And it has to be said that he has had some success: You could name a whole series of Western politicians whose loyalty has practically been bought by the Kremlin.
Imagination as an ally
Alexei Navalny represented a danger to Putin, above all because he proposed a fundamentally different policy to Russian society. Instead of vulgar cynicism, he showed his compatriots an idealistic dream.
Like Martin Luther King, Navalny made imagination his ally, publicizing his dream of a "Beautiful Russia of the Future" [his slogan during the 2018 presidential election], of a country where all are equal before the law, where there is no room for corruption and social inequality. A country that is free and open to the world. A country establishing friendly relations with its neighbors. A country whose main value is the human being, his life and his dignity.
But for Navalny, it wasn't just a dream; he sincerely believed that such a Russia was possible. And his faith was so strong and so contagious that more and more people joined his dream and came to his side to work, devote their personal time and strive to make this dream a reality.
Despite its prosperous appearance, Putin's Russia has transformed over time into a stifling, dark space. The hypocrisy of the state, the judicial and police arbitrariness, the lies of officials and the president himself and the menacing growth of militarism had become evident to many. As another murdered opponent, Boris Nemtsov, put it, "Under Putin, life has become better but more disgusting."
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