Kremlin admits: "United Russia" brand is unpopular with many Russians

Russia's presidential administration and the United Russia party are concerned about the party's declining popularity ahead of the September State Duma elections. The party sent regional branches campaign recommendations that permit using the slogan "United Russia, Putin's party" under certain conditions. The party platform will only be released in late August, just weeks before voting.

Russia's ruling United Russia party is preparing for State Duma elections set for 18-20 September 2026 without a clear platform or core messaging, and the party leadership is visibly anxious about this.

Campaign in the dark

According to media outlet Meduza, both the presidential administration and United Russia itself are concerned about the general uncertainty prevailing in the country and its impact on the forthcoming election campaign. A source close to the presidential administration's political bloc told Meduza: "Right now we are running the campaign blind."

The party platform is planned to be drawn up and released only in late August, just weeks before voting begins. To justify this delay, the party has devised a project called "Creating the Future Together," which invites citizens and public organizations to participate in drafting the platform. A political technologist working with the presidential administration's political bloc and familiar with the recommendations text calls this approach "fundamentally normal" to Meduza, but adds: "Not 'we haven't figured anything out yet,' but 'we decided to consult with you.' If approached sensibly, this method should be implemented earlier to extend the agitation period."

The "Putin's party" card

As one possible campaign tactic, the party leadership recommends positioning United Russia as "Putin's party" to regional branches, but only "after confirmation," which should also come in late August.

United Russia has used its association with Putin cautiously in previous campaigns. The most memorable was 2007, when Putin himself led the party's slate in State Duma elections and the campaign's main slogan was "Putin's Plan, Russia's Victory." Currently, the party's official leader is Dmitry Medvedev, who wants to head the party slate in September's elections.

A political technologist working with regional administrations warns Meduza against using this slogan directly: "Any normal person will start asking: if this is Putin's party, then why is it being led not by him but by Medvedev?" According to him, the message "Putin's party" could be deployed "if United Russia's rating continues to fall, to boost it."

City festivals replacing ideology

The campaign's final phase is envisioned in the recommendations as mass events over two September weekends, 5-6 September and 12-13 September. The plan includes city days, "harvest festivals," and "yard days" with fairs and concerts, which regional administrations can organize with United Russia's support. The party wants such events organized "in as many settlements as possible."

The recommendations specifically note that "branding" of the party's participation at these events is permitted only "in volumes and formats that do not provoke negative reactions among Russians." Regional officials must figure out for themselves what this precisely means.

A political technologist familiar with the recommendations text calls such festivals a "traditional tactic," but notes that in the campaign this should not be "by any means the main element." "Right now it seems these city days and harvest festivals are the only clear and comprehensible element [in United Russia's forthcoming campaign]," he says with a shrug.