Politization of urban conflicts in modern Russia: participants, agen-da, tactical interaction

Abstract

The article considers the features and nature of the deployment of local conflicts in large cities of Russia in the pre-election period. During pre-election campaigns such conflicts tend to be politicized, they are on the agenda of candidates for the pre-election race. The cases of the formation of the conflict agenda from below, its actualization in the public field and the further participation of the players in the election campaign are analyzed. The level of politicization of such conflicts and the chosen tactics of the participants in the election campaign are assessed. The susceptibility of the authorities to the municipal conflict inevitably increases during election campaigns. This is due not only to extinguish the hotbed of social tension, and rational motive of the current government to be re-elected. The elec-tion tactics of smoothing the conflict excludes the possibility of its use by opponents in the political struggle. Accordingly, the candidates tend to choose more the tactics of smoothing the conflict, serving thus as a mediator, rather than a further escalation of the situation. Moreover, the conflict issue may become relevant again after the elections, which emphasizes the temporary character of its settlement and the pragmatic calculation of the candidate. At the same time, one can observe a case of using tactics of deliberate aggravation, escalation of the conflict, which proves to be clearly unsuccessful. The urban conflict can be used as a resource and tool of the election campaign and the deployment of further political activity, not limited to the location of the city and going to the federal level. Recognizable conflict agenda can become the basis for participation in elections.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17072/2218-1067-2017-4-122-136