Three chapters of history – the presidency as a mirror of reality

Twenty years ago, on June 12, 1991 Russia elected its first president, Boris Yeltsin, with a convincing majority. This fact predetermined the events of the following months and became the final prerequisite for the Soviet Union’s imminent disintegration. The federal center was weakening and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev was rapidly losing support. He never dared hold direct elections. Against this background, the popular vote gave Yeltsin a qualitatively different level of legitimacy. Given the split in society and escalating struggle for power this was to play the decisive role. Continuar lendo →