Leader of Russia's A Just Russia party, Mironov, not seen in public since August
Sergey Mironov, the 73-year-old leader of A Just Russia, a party that has just barely secured seats in Russia's State Duma, has not appeared in public since late August. Sources close to the Kremlin say the party's future is uncertain.
Sergey Mironov, the 73-year-old leader of the Russian parliamentary party A Just Russia, has not made a public appearance since late August. According to the independent outlet Meduza, citing sources close to the political wing of Russia's Presidential Administration, the party is in disarray and Kremlin officials are unsure about its future. In the September elections, the party only just cleared the 5% threshold for the State Duma, the lower house of parliament.
What is known about Mironov's condition
After a trip to Altai Krai in late August, the outlet Sibexpress reported that Mironov had been unable to keep a coherent train of thought in public remarks. He then effectively dropped out of the party's campaign. The party officially blames a "minor injury." Mironov also did not attend the ceremonial session of the party's Duma faction on October 28, marking its 20th anniversary; he took part by video link. Ruslan Tatarinov, head of the faction's staff, said the leader would soon be back.
The circumstances have not been disclosed. Sibexpress reported a car accident on the way to the airport, while Verstka wrote of a serious condition and a possible ventilator. Two Meduza sources say Mironov remains in hospital and that the injury led to complications. The outlet is withholding the diagnosis.
Election result and implications
With 95% of ballots counted, the party was still short of the threshold, but on September 21 the Central Election Commission announced it had reached the required 5%. Electoral analyst Stanislav Andreichuk points to a last-minute boost of about 60,000 votes. One source links this to a phone call from Mironov to Vladimir Putin.
State Duma Deputy Speaker Alexander Babakov, regarded as one of the party's main sponsors, essentially runs the faction. A former party member says he lacks Mironov's direct access to Putin. Two sources say dissolving the party would be impractical, as it can nominate a presidential candidate without collecting signatures. One strategist says that, if needed, the Presidential Administration could help with rebranding and a new leader.
