Kremlin foe’s illness benefits Russian kleptocrats

En+ MKPAO

21/08/2020 09:49

(The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist.  The opinions
expressed are her own.)
    By Dasha Afanasieva
    LONDON, Aug 21 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Russian
anti-corruption activist and politician Alexei Navalny is
fighting for his life. His allies say he has been poisoned. His
damaging exposés of leading figures’ corruption and cronyism
have been popular - and embarrassing to the country’s
kleptocrats. A suspected attempt on his life will deter the
remaining independent voices, reducing even further the
constraints on dodgy business practices.  
    Navalny has been the most high-profile voice of genuine
opposition to President Vladimir Putin. But as a politician, he
has made almost no headway against the well-ensconced leader. A
December 2019 poll gave Navalny on 2% support as an electoral
rival to Putin. The same percentage of Russians said he is the
politician they trust the most in a July 2020 survey, according
to the Levada Center, an independent pollster.  
    Navalny’s investigative journalism is a bigger threat to
Russia’s power system. It was Navalny who revealed
the Kremlin connection of Oleg Deripaska, a major shareholder in
aluminium company Rusal  0486.HK ,  RUAL.MM  through En+
 ENPLq.L ,  ENPG.MM . Soon after, Deripaska came under American
sanctions. Evidence that Dmitry Medvedev secretly owned an
archipelago of luxury homes – allegations denied by
the then Russian prime minister – sparked public protests across
Russia in 2017.
    YouTube helped raise Navalny’s profile and make him a thorn
in the Kremlin’s side. Videos of his investigations into lower
level officials, often asking where their billions come from,
have garnered millions of views. Demonstration of the
extravagant lifestyles of businessmen and politicians stoked
anger from Russians whose real incomes were often failing.  
    Such resentment could be a threat to the kleptocratic system
– political loyalty is rewarded with vast wealth – that helps
maintain Russia’s political stability. And investigations can be
used or instigated by bickering businessmen to settle scores.
This sort of infighting could also be politically
destabilising. 
    Right now, Navalny’s suspected poisoning may look like a
public relations nightmare for the Kremlin. Over time, though,
it is likely to breed caution in would-be emulators of Navalny’s
flair and perseverance in criticising the regime. For the
authorities and their business cronies, such fearful restraint
would be nothing but good news.   
    On Twitter https://twitter.com/dasha_reuters
    
    CONTEXT NEWS
    - Alexei Navalny, a fierce critic of Russian President
Vladimir Putin and his lieutenants, is in a serious condition
after drinking tea on Aug. 20 morning that his allies believe
was laced with poison. His allies on Aug. 21 accused the Kremlin
of thwarting his medical evacuation to Germany, saying the
decision put his life in danger because the Siberian hospital
treating him was under-equipped. 
    - For previous columns by the author, Reuters customers can
click on  AFANA/ 
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UPDATE 1-Allies of Putin critic Navalny accuse Kremlin of
blocking his evacuation to Germany      urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N2FN0WT
BREAKINGVIEWS-Putin picks good time for Potemkin reshuffle   
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N29K4Y8
BREAKINGVIEWS-Review: Russian capitalism binds “Putin’s People” 
   urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N2E32Q1
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 (Editing by Edward Hadas and Karen Kwok)
 ((dasha.afanasieva@thomsonreuters.com; Reuters Messaging:
dasha.afanasieva.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))