February 17th, 2024

See the full original article by Saša Petricic here.

“As news of her husband’s death shot through the halls of the Munich Security Conference Friday, a composed Yulia Navalnaya took the stage. She said Russian President Vladimir Putin would be punished for what he’s “done to our country, to my family and to my husband.” 

But now, watching from Canada, Maria Popova, an associate professor of political science at McGill University, says she saw hints of Navalny’s political successor. 

“She sounded like she’s taking the baton and may be ready to lead the organization,” Popova said. Maybe, she said, Navalny’s death means his movement hasn’t been “decapitated” after all, given the network of committed activists who helped him in dozens of offices across Russia and with his online campaigns. Still, she points out that with only 10-20 per cent of Russians ready to question Putin’s leadership, Navalnaya would face the same challenges and risks her husband did.”