Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR)

The Liberal Democratic Party of Russia is a systemic opposition party. The LDPR is the fourth largest party in the State Duma of the Russian Federation (19 out of 450 seats). The party is represented in most regional parliaments and holds majority in only one region. As of April 2024, only one incumbent governor of Russia has been nominated by the LDPR.

LDPR emerged in 1991. Since then, it has been present in all convocations of the State Duma. Up until the presidential elections 2024, the LDPR was considered the third-largest party in Russia. Ideologically, LDPR is neither liberal nor democratic despite its name. It is rather leaning toward the nationalist and populist ideology. The popularity of LDPR is largely associated with its former leader, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, who passed away in 2022. Following the death of its popular leader, the party has been in crisis.

LDPR is loyal to the Kremlin, although it portrays itself as oppositional. In the elections to the State Duma of the Russian Federation in 2021, LDPR received 7.55% of the votes on the party lists and won in 2 out of 225 single-member districts.