Not least, as we know too well, because voters are often inclined to ignore the question being asked and cast ballots for the “great man” who asked it. Russia’s president Vladimir Putin last week saw 77.9 per cent of voters endorse constitutional amendments in an advisory referendum (like the UK Brexit vote) on a turnout of nearly 68 per cent. But even autocrats like the veneer of “democratic” approval. The management of the economy – living standards are stagnating – and the pandemic has not helped. The IMF expects GDP to drop by 6.6 per cent in 2020.

Source: The Irish Times July 06, 2020 00:00 UTC