Managerial elites and electorate of southern Russia in connection with the 2024 presidential elections: external and internal factors of stabilization and destabilization
Authors:   Southern Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (UNC RAS), Semenov V. S. 
Published: February 2025

The article examines the regional aspects of the preparation, progress and results of the elections of the President of the Russian Federation in 2024. A comparative analysis of the successful election campaign in Russia and the situation with the cancellation of the elections to the Verkhovna Rada and the President of Ukraine is carried out. The delegitimization of the Kyiv regime against the backdrop of the consolidation of Russian society is, to a certain extent, a reflection of global processes of reducing the influence of the unipolar world order and consolidating new centers of power on the principles of mutually beneficial cooperation. An analysis of the impact of management measures on the economic situation in the southern region allowed us to draw conclusions about the reasons for the overall economic growth of the country, which was manifested in the growth of wages while maintaining prices for most goods, low unemployment, a general decrease in the poverty level and, ultimately, determined the election results. Among the factors of stable growth, the system of strategic planning and management is noted, assessed, among other things, by the results of the implementation of national projects. Mechanisms for the selection and education of promising leaders have been established. The high rate of development of the transport infrastructure necessary to increase trade turnover with growth centers in Asia testify to the importance of the southern regions in ensuring the geostrategic "pivot of Russia to the East". The development of mass socially significant services in the Unified Portal of State Services strengthens the feedback of government bodies with citizens, contributes to the timely identification and localization of negative situations, and the maintenance of socio-political stability, which is confirmed by the decrease in the social tension index in the region. A change in the political landscape and corresponding adjustments to the positions of parties in the domestic political space were noted. An important element of the 2024 election campaign was the growth of loyalty to the authorities among voters in large cities, which were previously the main centers of protest voting. An increase in trust in the existing system of governance was noted, but above all, in the updated foreign policy of Russia in a dynamically changing world. The article notes that many factors contributed to the success of the 2024 presidential elections. Including, paradoxically, the unprecedented pressure from Russia's geopolitical antagonists contributed to the consolidation of society in the face of an external enemy. Russian society, including regional elites, passed a serious test of strength. A change in the positions of the main parties in the country's domestic political space was recorded, the need to change many attitudes and rejuvenate party personnel was noted. A number of conclusions and forecasts were formulated, in particular, regarding the preservation of Russia's political course for the foreseeable future. The logical continuation of the 2024 presidential elections will be the 2026 elections to the State Duma. They will take place in the context of increasing pressure from the united West, which will require the socio-political and economic mobilization of the country.