Support The Moscow Times!

Sobchak Announces New Political Party 'For Change'

Maxim Shemetov / Reuters

Opposition politician Ksenia Sobchak has announced the creation of a new political party on the eve of Russia’s presidential elections together with ex-Duma deputy Dmitri Gudkov.

Presidential candidate Sobchak is expected to win less than 2 percent of the vote in elections scheduled for Sunday, according to the latest state-run polls. The former reality television star is said to enjoy the backing of members of Russia’s liberal elite but holds the highest “negative rating” of any candidate.

Sobchak announced that the goal of the new party would be to "return our freedom and your freedom," the RBC business portal reported on Thursday.

Citing a source in the Sobchak campaign, the Vedomosti business daily reported that the new party would be “based on" the structure the Civic Initiative political party, which nominated Sobchak as a presidential candidate. 

Former tycoon turned opposition politician Mikhail Khodorkovsky has reportedly given his blessing to the new party, Nezavisimaya Gazeta said. 

Citing the chairman of Khodorkovsky's Open Russia movement, Alexander Solovyov, Nezavisimaya attributed the oligarch's support to his understanding that Kremlin elites opposed to further antagonism with the West will “inevitably” lend their support to Sobchak. 

The independent mayor of Russia’s fourth-biggest city of Yekaterinburg, Yevgeny Roizman, could assume a leadership post in the new party, along with Solovyov, according to the newspaper. 

“It’s difficult to predict how the authorities will react to the creation of a new party. It’s unclear what picture they now have in their minds,” it cited Solovyov as saying.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more