What Navalny’s death tells us about Russia

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny may have been President Putin’s most powerful enemy, and his sudden death has naturally forced people to pay attention to the state of Russian politics. Navalny is the latest in a list of people suffering from what some have described as “Russian sudden death syndrome.” Navalny has raised questions about Putin’s regime for years, even as he was hunted, faced trumped-up charges and survived an assassination attempt with the nerve agent Novichok. While Russia has made progress in Ukraine and the Western bloc appears to be in disarray, its attention diverted by conflicts in West Asia, Navalny’s death illustrates the contradictions within the Russian political system – a failure to embrace credible opposition.

From journalists to businessmen to political rivals, President Vladimir Putin’s rivals have been targeted by Moscow both inside and outside Russia. Since the collapse of the former Soviet Union in 1989, Russia has struggled to transform itself into an electoral democracy with credible institutions and a clear separation of powers. The era of Boris Yeltsin saw the collapse of the Soviet empire, with peripheral regions breaking apart and establishing independent republics. The planned economy collapsed, and the privatization of state assets created a toxic political economy run by oligarchs and shadowy politicians. Putin’s rise to power has brought political and economic stability to Russia, but under his leadership, power has been concentrated in Moscow and the regime has turned blatantly nationalistic and authoritarian, leaving no room for dissent.

Navalny, 47, is the face of the opposition, a minority that challenges Moscow’s narrative of Russian nationalism and exceptionalism. His family and supporters claimed his death was political murder, a blow to Democrats around the world.