Category Archives: Policies

On the municipal reform and war participants, Putin’s press conference and others

Posted on December 20, 2025 by

The federal reform of municipal public administration continues to throw waves and upsetting people – unsurprisingly, even former war participants. This is just one of the many underlying political risks that the Kremlin is aware of but can do little … Continue reading →

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On the ongoing municipal reform, flamboyant governors and others

Posted on November 14, 2025 by

The Kremlin’s municipal reform is still creating convulsions in several regions, primarily in Siberia and the Far East, which highlight some interesting patterns about multi-level governance. Meanwhile, Russia’s new cohort of eccentric governors had a bad month – but this … Continue reading →

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On the “new elite” of war participants, AI in governance and others

Posted on July 14, 2025 by

How seriously should we take Putin’s promises of a “new elite” emerging from the participants of the war in Ukraine, based on the experiences of the past year? Will artificial intelligence solve the problems of regional and local governance in … Continue reading →

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On the discontents of the municipal reform, arrest season in the regions, and others

Posted on May 31, 2025 by

How is the Kremlin’s recently adopted municipal reform playing out in the regions, especially given unexpected protests in the Krasnoyarsk Territory? Are the recent arrests of regional officials, among them several ministers and deputy ministers significant? When the Kremlin names … Continue reading →

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On the waste management reform, the salaries of governors, and others

Posted on April 23, 2025 by

I might disappoint some readers with the main topic of today’s dispatch, especially after such a long hiatus, but this has been a hobby horse of mine for some time, so buckle up. In today’s dispatch I am going to … Continue reading →

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On the disaster in the Oval Office, industrial support measures and others

Posted on March 4, 2025 by

What are the implications of Trump and Vance bullying Zelenskyy in the Oval Office for the Kremlin and for Europe? How does the mobster mentality that Trump brings to international relations changes the Kremlin’s calculus regarding the war? Will the … Continue reading →

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On regional finances, political power in Khakassia and more

Posted on January 30, 2025 by

While the war continues to be the focus of the federal budget, a look at how regional fiscal incomes have changed in 2024 suggests that regional budgets are also facing increasingly tighter times. I am also taking a closer look … Continue reading →

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