A Council of Europe body has criticised Russia's parliamentary elections as "fake," RTE.ie reports. The assessment was published on Friday, 18 September 2026, as Russians went to the polls.
According to RTE.ie, the Council of Europe body rejected the legitimacy of the vote. The criticism centres on the conduct of the elections themselves.
Coverage of the vote from several outlets describes a contest with no meaningful opposition. CNN reported empty podiums, prizes offered for e-voting and the absence of opposition candidates, with the
Taken together, the reporting points to a vote whose outcome was widely treated as predetermined, and which international bodies have now publicly dismissed. The Council of Europe's position adds an i
The immediate focus will be on how Moscow responds to the Council of Europe's assessment and whether other international bodies follow with similar statements.
A Council of Europe body has condemned Russia's parliamentary elections as illegitimate, according to RTE.ie.