This article discusses political parties in Russia.

The Russian Federation has a de jure multi-party system, however it operates as a dominant-party system. As of 2020^[update], six parties have members in the federal parliament, the State Duma, with one dominant party (United Russia). As of July 2023^[update], 27 political parties^[1] are officially registered in the Russian Federation, 25 of which have the right to participate in elections.^[2]

After the Perestroika reforms in the 1980s Russia had over 100 registered parties, but the people elected to the State Duma represented only a small number of parties. After 2000, during Vladimir Putin's first presidency (2000–2008), the number of parties quickly decreased. From 2008 to 2012 there were only seven parties in Russia, and every new attempt to register new parties was blocked.^{[by whom?]} The last registered party of this period was the government-organized Right Cause (now the Party of Growth) which was registered on 18 February 2009. Before the 2011 parliamentary election, about 10 opposition parties were denied registration.

In 2001, the federal law "On political parties" was adopted. All parties had to be re-registered. Parties have been assigned the status of the only type of public association that has the right to independently nominate candidates for deputies and other elective positions in government bodies. One of the major provisions of the law is the establishment of a single national status of a political party, and, as a result, the liquidation of regional and interregional political public associations.^[3] According to paragraph 1 of Article 3 of the Federal Law of the Russian Federation No. 95-FZ “On Political Parties”, a political party in Russia is recognized as "a public association created for the purpose of participation of citizens of the Russian Federation in the political life of society through the formation and expression of their political will, participation in public and political actions, in elections and referendums, as well as in order to represent the interests of citizens in state authorities and local governments".^[4]

In December 2004, amendments were introduced requiring a minimum number of party members of 50,000 and the presence of more than 45 regional branches of 500 people each. By January 1, 2006 all parties had to submit documents proving that their party structures complied with the requirements of the law on the minimum number of members and the number of regional branches.^[3][5]

In 2009, a bill was introduced to reduce the minimum number of party members from 50,000 to 45,000, and from 500 to 450 members in regional branches. This law came into effect on January 1, 2010. The minimum number of party members was reduced again on January 1, 2012 to 40,000 and to 400 members per regional branch.^[6]

On February 28, 2012, an election law was adopted meaning parties were exempted from collecting signatures and making a cash deposit for nominating a party and its candidate, and gubernatorial elections were restored. The number of required signatures for candidates for the presidential elections was reduced from 2 million to 100,000 for party candidates, and 300,000 for self-nominated candidates. The electoral threshold for parties was also reduced from 7% to 5%.^[7]

On March 20, 2012, the State Duma approved a presidential bill to reduce the minimum number of political party members from 40,000 to only 500 people, and from 500 to 5 members for a regional branch.

However, after a series of mass protests and a 2011 European Court decision on the case of the Republican Party of Russia (now the People's Freedom Party), the law changed and the number of registered parties quickly increased to more than 48 as of December 2012^[update].

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According to studies, United Russia voters in 2007 were younger and more market-oriented than the average voter. The party's electorate includes a substantial share of government employees, pensioners and military personnel, who are dependent on the state for their livelihood.^[10] Sixty-four percent of United Russia supporters are female. In the run-up to the 2011 Duma elections, it was reported that support for United Russia was growing among young people.^[11]

In April 2023, a survey on the issue of the dissolution of the United Russia Party was conducted among Russians. About 2,500 people participated in the survey, mostly aged 45+. The question was "Is it necessary to dissolve the United Russia party with the inability of its members to participate in political life in the future?" the answers were distributed as follows: 65% stated: "I am for dissolution without permission to participate in political life in the future", 3% stated "I am against dissolution", 6% stated "I am for dissolution, but with permission to participate in political life in the future", and 26% stated "I am for the dissolution of all bourgeois parties".^[12]

All parties registered with the Ministry of Justice have the right to participate in any elections across the country. A list of registered parties is placed on the Ministry website. In December 2012, there were 48 registered parties in Russia; 6 of them are currently represented in the State Duma as of 2021.

Parties represented in the State Duma and the Federation Council

More information Party, Est. ...

Party				Est.	Leader	Ideology	State Duma	Federation Council	Regional	Political position	Alliances
		ER ЕР	United Russia Единая Россия	2001	Dmitry Medvedev	Statism Russian conservatism Russian nationalism	325 / 450	136 / 178	2,683 / 3,908	Big tent	ONF
		KPRF КПРФ	Communist Party of the Russian Federation Коммунистическая партия Российской Федерации	1993	Gennady Zyuganov	Communism Marxism–Leninism Left-wing nationalism Democratic socialism Neo-Stalinism (Some)	57 / 450	4 / 178	523 / 3,908	Left-wing to far-left	UCP–CPSU International: IMCWP
		SRZP СРЗП	A Just Russia — For Truth Справедливая Россия — За правду	2006	Sergey Mironov, Zakhar Prilepin, Gennady Semigin	Social democracy Democratic socialism Social conservatism Russian nationalism	27 / 450	3 / 178	230 / 3,908	Centre to centre-left	ONF
		LDPR ЛДПР	Liberal Democratic Party of Russia Либерально-демократическая партия России	1992	Leonid Slutsky	Pan-Slavism Monarchism Economic interventionism Social conservatism Right-wing populism Ultranationalism	23 / 450	3 / 178	239 / 3,908	Right-wing to far-right
		NL НЛ	New People Новые люди	2020	Alexey Nechayev	Communitarianism Regionalism Direct democracy	15 / 450	0 / 178	56 / 3,908	Centre-right	SPPS
		Rodina Родина	Rodina Родина	2012	Aleksey Zhuravlyov	Russian nationalism Russian conservatism Social conservatism Right-wing populism	1 / 450	0 / 178	11 / 3,908	Far-right	ONF
		GP ГП	Civic Platform Гражданская платформа	2012	Rifat Shaykhutdinov	Liberal conservatism Economic liberalism	1 / 450	0 / 178	5 / 3,908	Centre-right
		PR ПР	Party of Growth Партия роста	2016	Boris Titov	Liberal conservatism Conservative liberalism Economic liberalism	1 / 450	0 / 178	4 / 3,908	Centre-right	ONF, SPPS

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Parties represented in the regional parliaments

More information Name, Founded ...

Name				Founded	Leader	Ideology	Regional parliaments	Position	Alliances
		RPPSJ РППСС	Russian Party of Pensioners for Social Justice Российская партия пенсионеров за социальную справедливость	2012	Vladimir Burakov	Pensioners' interests Elderly interests Social justice Single-issue politics	34 / 3,908	Centre
		CPCR КПКР	Communist Party "Communists of Russia" Коммунистическая партия «Коммунисты России»	2012	Maxim Suraykin	Communism Marxism–Leninism Stalinism Anti-revisionism	15 / 3,908	Far-left	International: IMCWP (observer)
		Yabloko Яблоко	Russian United Democratic Party "Yabloko" Российская объединённая демократическая партия «Яблоко»	1993	Nikolay Rybakov	Social liberalism Progressivism Feminism Anti-war Pro-Europeanism	11 / 3,908	Centre-left	International: LI European: ALDE Party EGP (associated faction)
		REP "The Greens" РЭП «Зелёные»	Russian Ecological Party "The Greens" Российская экологическая партия «Зелёные»	2012	Andrey Nagibin	Green politics Agrarianism	5 / 3,908	Centre to centre-left	ONF EAGP
		GA! ЗА!	Green Alternative Зелёная альтернатива	2020	Ruslan Khvostov	Green politics Environmentalism Pro-Europeanism	2 / 3,908	Centre-left
		PSP ПСЗ	Political party of Social Protection Политическая партия социальной защиты	2012	Vladimir Mikhailov	Social justice	2 / 3,908	Centre
		PB ПД	Party of Business Партия дела	2010	Konstantin Babkin	Green politics Protectionism Economic nationalism	1 / 3,908	Centre to centre-left
		PDD ППД	Party of the Direct Democracy[13] Партия прямой демократии	2020	Oleg Artamonov	Direct democracy E-Democracy	1 / 3,908	Centre-right

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Parties in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine

More information Name, Founded ...

Name			Founded	Leader	Ideology	Location	Representation in regional legislature
		Donetsk Republic	2005	Denis Pushilin	Russian nationalism Donbas separatism	Donetsk People's Republic	74 / 100
		Free Donbas	2014	Vladimir Medvedev	Russian nationalism Donbas separatism	Donetsk People's Republic	26 / 100
		Peace to Luhanshchyna	2014	Leonid Pasechnik	Donbas separatism Centrism (self-declared)	Luhansk People's Republic	37 / 50
		Luhansk Economic Union	2014	Zinaida Nadion	Donbas separatism Liberal conservatism	Luhansk People's Republic	13 / 50
		New Russia Party	2014	Pavel Gubarev Ekaterina Gubareva	Russian nationalism Eurasianism	Donetsk People's Republic	0 / 100
		Volodymyr Saldo Bloc	2019	Vladimir Saldo	Kherson regionalism Decentralization Russophilia	Kherson Oblast	0 / 64

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