I'm way out of my depth here and the political semantics are dicey even in the West I live in where there is also almost no left, but wasn't a good part of Putin (and then Medvedev's) support due to their claim to be more interested in returning Russians to the secure days of the USSR, i.e. with more social safety net? Or was it just the shirtless fishing Clint Eastwood impersonation, i.e. more forceful state externally? I suppose it could also be both (that's what Karl Polanyi would have predicted after the 90s), but my understanding was that the former held some sway which would seem to be more of a social democratic push, but maybe that is way too generous--and in any case, as the US is evidence, social democracy is only "left" when the middle is populated by people to the right of Reagan.
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