Russia’s Putin announces re-election bid
Another victory virtually assured
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday he would seek re-election next year in a race he is poised to win easily, putting him on track to become the nation’s longestserving ruler since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.
Mr. Putin’s approval ratings regularly top 80 percent, making him all but certain to win the March election by a broad margin.
While few doubted the 65year-old leader would run, the delay in his declaring so fueled some conspiracy theories and was seen as the Kremlin’s political maneuvering.
It is widely believed that Mr. Putin wants to use what should be his last term, barring further constitutional changes, to cement his place as one of the more important historical figures ever to rule Russia.
The Russian leader’s potential rivals include several luckless candidates from past contests and a notable newcomer — TV host Ksenia Sobchak, 36, the daughter of Mr. Putin’s one-time boss.
The president chose to make his re-election announcement at the GAZ automobile factory in the city of Nizhny Novgorod.
The factory is a symbol of Russian’s industrial might, and Mr. Putin found an enthusiastic audience in the blue-collar workers who make up the core of his base.
“I couldn’t find a better place and moment,” he said to massive applause at the plant. “Thank you for your support. I will run for president.”
For months, Mr. Putin fended off questions about his plans for 2018, fueling speculation about why he would not say if he would seek re-election. Some theorized he might step down and name a preferred successor.
The Kremlin has been worried about growing voter apathy, and the uncertainty over Mr. Putin’s plans seemed intended to encourage public interest in the race.
“It was necessary to ensure electoral mobilization,” Dmitry Orlov, a political consultant close to the Kremlin, said in televised remarks.
Mr. Putin is expected to cruise to re-election, not least because of his popularity and the lack of serious challengers. In fact, the main concern in the Kremlin now, according to political analysts of all stripes, is that the lackluster slate of candidates could drive turnout to historic lows and deprive Mr. Putin of a resounding mandate.
But there is no denying Mr. Putin’s popularity. The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, dominated by Russia with 33 medals, also fueled his ratings.
The scandal over statebacked doping, which saw Russia barred from the 2018 Winter Games, only seems to have bolstered his standing, as it fits into his narrative of Russia as a besieged fortress surrounded by enemies on all fronts.
In televised remarks after launching his re-election campaign, Mr. Putin said he won’t boycott the Pyeongchang Olympics and that his government will allow Russians to compete as neutral athletes at the upcoming games in South Korea.