ABSTRACT
Alongside economic modernization, Medvedev's programme for the presidency focused on tackling the endemic corruption within Russia's politics, economy and society. The official discourse about modernization acted as a broad umbrella idea, under which a variety of societal groups who had previously been politically passive came together. Notably Putin's approval ratings jumped to 80 per cent, levels that had not been seen since the mid-2000s. Simultaneously, these events and the sense of patriotic fervour that emerged around the regime also saw other issues and priorities, such as Russia's economic problems and governance issues, slide down the agenda. Similarly to the regimes domestic response to the colour revolutions between 2003 and 2005, this crisis also precipitated an increased securitization of the domestic sphere, an expression of concern about regime security and appeals to patriotic fervour. Upon returning to the presidency Putin oversaw a sharp resecuritization of the domestic space.
