Tag Archives: vladimir

The changing face of the crisis

The year 2023 will be bumpier for many Russian regions than the past year was. Warning signs are already visible: tighter money, distracted officials, more friction points. The September regional and local elections are not without risks, either.

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Completing the vertical

The second part of Russia’s ongoing public administration reform will extend the power vertical further downwards. The bill does not only reflect a trust in the tools of digital authoritarianism, but also the goal of giving the federal center a … Continue reading

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Political QR

The ongoing debate about the introduction of country-wide vaccination passes is turning into a case study of the weaknesses of Russia’s emerging digital authoritarianism and public power in general.

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Investing in stagnation

We haven’t seen sweeping personnel changes following Russia’s legislative election this year. But things are shifting below the surface. It seems that the authorities’ quest for stability is accelerating changes in the relationship between the federal government and the regions, … Continue reading

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The 225 meanings of legitimacy

Amidst an increasingly harsh crackdown on dissent, a crisis of legitimacy haunts the Duma elections that will take place in seven weeks. But what does this actually mean? I argue that Russia in 2021 is not Belarus in 2020, but … Continue reading

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Elections ahead – Part II

A week ago, I looked at regional electoral data to find out what these suggest about the electoral chances of United Russia in this year’s legislative election. I concluded that even with a popularity of under 30 percent nation-wide the … Continue reading

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NY Dispatches: the arrest of Sergey Furgal

On Thursday, 9 July the agents of the Investigative Committee, working together with the Federal Security Service (FSB) arrested the governor of the far eastern Khabarovsk Krai, Sergey Furgal, a former Duma deputy and member of the Liberal Democratic Party … Continue reading

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