Press Release, 4 December 2025

Photo: Three factions – Yabloko, A Just Russia, and the CPRF, who left the regional parliament session in protest / Photo by Emilia Slabunova

On 4 December, at a session of the Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Karelia, the parliamentary majority consisting of the United Russia faction effectively blocked even the possibility of voicing and discussing amendments to the draft budget proposed by opposition factions. This was reported by Emilia Slabunova, member of Yabloko’s Federal Political Committee and deputy in the Karelia’s Legislative Assembly. She emphasised that “the amendments were not examined on their merits, and attempts to secure open and equal discussion were thwarted by manipulations of the rules of procedure”.

The matter concerns 20 amendments to the draft regional budget for 2026, relating to pharmaceutical provision, street and bridge repairs, bus purchases, repair of water standpipes in one of the republic’s settlements, monitoring of water bodies, renewal of rural libraries collections, and other pressing social problems.

Nevertheless, the United Russia parliamentary majority effectively boycotted the Yabloko faction’s amendments, whilst the ruling party’s own amendments were adopted without any obstacles.

When it became clear that the session’s procedures were being used as a tool to restrict discussion, the Yabloko faction joined the boycott by other opposition factions and walked out of the session – in protest against the manner in which the budget was being examined.

The remaining deputies from the parliamentary majority continued the session, and within just 40 minutes adopted the budget of the Republic of Karelia for the coming year in all three readings at once.

Following this, the opposition party factions that had boycotted the session issued a joint statement:

“We remind everyone: in the last elections, less than 30 per cent of Karelian residents who came to polling stations voted for United Russia. That is, more than two-thirds of voters supported other political forces represented in parliament. Nevertheless, in the Legislative Assembly the ruling party has established monopoly control over all key procedures – from committees to matters of procedure – and uses this monopoly to suppress alternative viewpoints.

What effectively happened today was this: the parliamentary majority refused to hear proposals aimed at supporting districts, schools, hospitals, communal infrastructure and other vital needs of the Republic’s residents. We proposed concrete measures to make the budget more just and oriented towards people’s real demands. However, instead of dialogue, a tactic of formal voting and procedural traps was chosen.

We consider such practices dangerous for regional parliamentarism. The budget is the main document determining Karelia’s development for the coming years. And the refusal to discuss it openly, with all factions participating, represents a direct disregard for the interests of the majority of the Republic’s residents.”

Additionally, the document contains a demand to end the practice of one-party diktat in the parliament of the Republic of Karelia, and a reminder: “The Legislative Assembly must serve the whole of society, not one political force.”