Ritual Elections: Where Yashin's Initiative Leads
02 Dec 2025
Ilya Yashin / YouTube
The news that Ilya Yashin has announced the launch of the "Enough" campaign ahead of the 2026 presidential electionsⁱ is yet another signal: Russian elections - even completely controlled ones, devoid of competition and institutional content - are still being used as a political window of opportunity. They are being exploited primarily by émigré and independent politicians, who have long been denied access to the Russian public space but continue to seek ways to influence it.
According to Yashin, his initiative is an attempt to use the presidential campaign period to "remind us of the real mood in society" and mobilize those who disagree with the Kremlin's course. Formally, this has no connection to participation in the elections - Yashin, who is based abroad, does not plan to run. This is an influence campaign, not a participation campaign.
Such moves are nothing new. During election periods, many Russian politicians in exile become active, not because they believe in electoral competition (which no longer exists in Russia), but because elections create a rare moment when attention to domestic politics increases - both within the country and abroad.
Among experts, two main positions are most often expressed: "Any activity is better than nothing" or "This is all pointless and will have no impact on anything inside Russia." Supporters of the first line argue that even in authoritarian conditions, it is important to remind people of resistance and maintain symbolic solidarity.
Those who support the second position believe that such initiatives are more a tool for émigré politicians to position themselves than a real lever of influence, and that Russians, living in conditions of political fear, are not ready for mass mobilization. Against this backdrop, Yashin's move is perceived as a logical continuation of his own political line: maintaining a voice even from exile and demonstrating the continuity of an alternative policy.
What scenarios are possible in such a situation?
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The campaign will simply become part of the "background noise." The most likely scenario: Yashin's initiative will dissolve into the general flow of opposition responses to the elections.
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The initiative could become a platform for coordinating other projects. If the team can unite several networks—human rights, journalistic, and analytical—the campaign could become a focal point for discussions about political prisoners and the prison situation.
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The reaction within Russia will be minimal, due to fear, repression, and the lack of conditions for collective action. This is a systemic problem, confirmed by studies of authoritarian resilience.
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The effect will be purely international. Western media and institutions interpret such initiatives as the "voice of an alternative Russia." This strengthens the politician's image in the eyes of external partners. It is speculated that this is the main goal of such initiatives.
The launch of the "Enough" campaign is an important gesture, but not within Russia. In this case, the addressees are three audiences: international institutions that want to see the "alternative Russia" continue to speak out; the Russian diaspora, which needs symbols of political resistance; and Yashin himself, whose political identity is built on the continuity of political activism.
In reality, any campaigns around the 2026 elections will not be able to influence the outcome—elections as an institution no longer exist. But they can influence the conversation about Russia, and this is clearly becoming the main stake.