Democracy is the most widely admired political system, but perhaps the most difficult to maintain. Democracy begins with excellent objectives in human governance with unquestionable intensions to impart freedom from injustice and social exclusion. It is characterised as a system in which expectations are raised because people identify themselves with the polity. There has been a greater urge for opening up the space for participation and competition in a state like Nepal which had a long history of monarchical domination.

President Vladimir Putin’s recent address to the Russian Parliament has attracted much attention for obvious reasons. Pitched betwixt his second term as the President, which according to some could be extended through a constitutional amendment and his seemingly carefully calculated desire to name the successor, the speech reflects three interrelated factors – robust nationalism, comprehensive national power, and a reassertion of the state in global politics – a concoction of which conforms to what is known as realism in international relations.