After Navalny who?

The death of staunch Putin critic Alexei Navalny leaves no apparent successor in the fight for democracy in Russia.

Considered Russia’s opposition leader, Navalny has spent years fighting Vladimir Putin’s regime and corruption.

With its top leader now dead, what is left of the opposition in Russia?

Sky News spoke to experts in Russian politics, who note that the most active opposition figures are now outside Russia.

Dr Ben Noble, associate professor of Russian politics at University College London, says: “Navalny criticized Putin, but at the same time he and his team created a vision of a different Russia.”

Military analyst Professor Michael Clarke said Navalny was “the most credible critic in Russia”, adding that he had a large movement behind him that was active even while he was in prison.

But, he also pointed out, Navalny was “not as liberal as people in the West would like to believe” and had a “rather Russian imperialist view” on foreign policy matters.

What will happen now;

The opposition inside Russia is “very fragmented”, says Dr Noble, adding that despite the shock and anger, he would not expect mass street protests in Russia, where Navalny’s name has been maligned for many years.

Navalny’s team, based in Lithuania, will try to coordinate next steps, Noble added, which will become clearer in the near future.

Samantha de Benderm, a fellow at the Chatham House think tank, said no deaths of prominent Russian opposition figures had led to protests.

But he added: “The context today is different: Russia is at war in Ukraine and a new opposition candidate, Boris Nadezhdin, has created an embryonic anti-war movement hungry for change in Russia.”

Boris Nadezhdin: Navalny’s successor?

There is no obvious successor, says Dr. Noble, and adds: “This shows the efficiency and ruthlessness with which the Kremlin has ‘burned’ the landscape of a credible opposition to Putin.”

Russian elections are coming up next month and President Putin is a clear winner, says Dr Noble.

The 60-year-old politician Boris Nadezhdin, who tried to run against Putin in the upcoming elections, is perhaps the most important figure in the Russian opposition at the moment.

He has called for an end to the war in Ukraine and urged Russia to open a dialogue with the West.

But he has been banned from being a member of the Central Election Commission.

“An optimistic view is that Navalny’s death can give a new lease of life to Nadezhdin … and give birth to a real movement,” said de Benderm.

Dr. Noble notes that the Kremlin initially tolerated Nedezdin, but was “frightened” by the support he gained.

“I think they will now be even more wary of the prospect of Nadezhdin becoming another point of uncertainty in a system that is increasingly intolerant of uncertainty and opposition.”

He added: “I don’t think we should expect Nadezhdin to try to take Navalny’s place, mainly because they just won’t allow it.”