Political parties created by the Kremlin to support Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, came first and third in Sunday’s regional elections. As a dry run for the national elections in December, and for the presidential poll to elect a successor to Mr Putin next year, the regional votes seem to suggest that all is safely under control in the Russian leader’s system of “managed democracy”. It is not very democratic, but it is well managed. Mr Putin can be confident of a large parliamentary majority for his two loyal parties in the Duma, and of easing his chosen successor safely into office next year.

United Russia, the main pro-Putin party, looks like winning 46 per cent of the vote, and 13 of the 14 regions at stake. Just Russia, the recently-formed centre-left alliance that also backs the president, won nearly 12 per cent, and topped the poll in Stavropol. It is supposed to provide a “safe” opposition.