Win some, lose some. For a significant time now, Vladimir Putin has groomed the people of Russia to accept this central dictum of his politics. As during the parliamentary elections only months ago, which gave his United Russia Party a thumping majority in the duma, the ‘success’ of the presidential elections once again proves how well-adapted Russians are to his peculiar political style. By giving 70 per cent of their votes to Dmitri Medvedev in a State-controlled election, Russians have shown that they do not mind losing a bit of democracy for the more preferred option of continuity that the new president assures. Mr Medvedev, who has been Mr Putin’s shadow for the last 15 years, was handpicked by the former president in a conclave last December to stand for a post he could no longer constitutionally hold for the third time in succession. It is a convenient arrangement that will see the return of Mr Putin as prime minister with his power undiminished, if not his authority. Mr Medvedev is Mr Putin’s protégé. That was his unique selling point as a presidential candidate both to the electorate and the establishment. And now, having finally made it, he is unlikely to disturb the carefully structured order, his liberal background and stances notwithstanding.

In other words, Russians cannot be accused of having slipped on their chance of choosing a different future. One may argue that they were denied an alternative by the systematic dilution of political opposition. But for now, there is nothing more attractive before them than Mr Putin’s ‘order’ that has distanced them from the miseries and memories of the past communist regime and given them relative economic prosperity and freedoms while creating conditions for the resurgence of national pride. All this comes with a price though. The media restraint, State oppression of political adversaries and the lack of accountability are a part of this. But so long as the promises of prosperity and stability are kept, Russians are willing to tolerate this and much more. For the international community, however, this attitude brings with it a host of problems. Mr Putin has studiously worked on a confrontationist policy vis-à-vis the West, which has added to his popularity. Mr Medvedev might be tempted to pursue a similar policy for the same reasons. Unless, of course, the liberal in him breaks free and charts a different course altogether.