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- Vladimir Zhirinovsky, a member of the State Duma from 1993 to 2022, former leader of the Liberal Democratic Party and perennial Russian presidential candidate (in six elections), took positions on many political issues through his public comments, his presidential campaign statements, and his voting record. Zhirinovsky's positions tended towards the far-right of Russian politics, commonly being seen as fascist, however, Zhirinovsky himself sharply objected to such a characterization. In addition to being seen as a fascist, Zhirinovsky has also been regarded to be an ultranationalist. His views have also been described as chauvinistic and imperialistic. Zhirinovsky's plans for reshaping the presidency essentially have been to mold it into a dictatorship. The LDPR defined its members as being individuals who do not separate their personal interests from those of the motherland, a "creator capable of carrying out the priority tasks of the motherland aimed at preserving peace and raising the standard of living of all the population of our vast country." Zhirinovsky, during the 1993 legislative campaign, referred to LDPR as the “centre-right party” and claimed that its views were such that it could potentially be allied with Women of Russia and Civic Union in the State Duma. Zhirinovsky had a flair for demagoguery. His written policy positions have, at times, been more moderate than those he has espoused in speeches and interviews. While Zhirinovsky and the LDPR formed a component of the political opposition to Boris Yeltsin in the 1990s, members of the LDPR largely voted against impeaching Yeltsin in 1999. Later, Zhirinovsky and the LDPR often supported the agenda of Vladimir Putin's government when voting in the Duma. Zhirinovsky's support for Putin dates back to Putin's early presidency. (en)
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