Category Archives: Dispatches

On online voting, the war coalition and others

What happened in Russia over the past week? A couple of words on the role of online voting, on the importance of a visibly strong pro-war coalition for Putin, and some regional political and economic news.

Posted in Dispatches, Policies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

NY Dispatches: voting rights for Donbas residents?

Yesterday it was reported that the State Duma is considering a bill that would make it possible for the residents of the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics – separatist territories in Eastern Ukraine under de facto Russian control – … Continue reading

Posted in Dispatches, Elections | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

NY Dispatches: Russia and the Council of Europe, again

Petr Tolstoy, the vice-speaker of the State Duma said this week that Russia should “revisit its role” in the Council of Europe and consider leaving it, should the CoE initiate a procedure against Russia due to the jailing of Alexey … Continue reading

Posted in Dispatches | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

NY Dispatches: Putin reacts

According to Alexei Navalny’s campaign the protests that started on 23 January will continue this week. One thing that protesters have already achieved is forcing Vladimir Putin to address the accusations in Navalny investigation into his ill-gotten wealth, in person. … Continue reading

Posted in Dispatches, Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

NY Dispatches: the FSB exposures

What the Bellingcat report on Alexey Navalny’s would-be killers from the Federal Security Service (FSB) and Navalny’s phone call to one of them reveal about the Kremlin’s prospects in 2021 and beyond.

Posted in Dispatches, Policies | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

NY Dispatches: Fragile sovereignism

The State Duma adopted, in the first reading, a bill expanding the defition of “foreign agents”, a discriminatory law first adopted in 2012. It appears that the updated law will be approved in the final reading in early 2021, opening … Continue reading

Posted in Dispatches, Elections, Policies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

NY Dispatches: Regional constitutional courts

This week the State Duma voted to approve the liquidation of regional constitutional courts. According to the law, which implements this year’s constitutional reform, regional constitutional courts will be abolished by 2023. They may be replaced by “constitutional councils” functioning … Continue reading

Posted in Dispatches, Policies | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment