Merge, subordinate, centralize

Posted on May 15, 2021 by

Last year’s constitutional reform created the concept of federal territories, a new type of administrative division, and seemed to integrate municipalities into the system of administrative power. 2020 also brought the issue of regional mergers back onto the political agenda. These three main reform directions seem to reflect, reinforce, and potentially codify existing trends in Russia’s domestic politics that are mostly motivated by political and security interests and have little to do with fostering efficiency or economic development.

Continue reading →
Posted in Policies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The regional races

Posted on April 27, 2021 by

It is likely that Vladimir Putin’s address to the National Assembly also closed the spring “gubernatoropad” the season of the “falling of governors”, that is, the dismissal of regional leaders before regional elections. We can thus take a look at the lay of the land before regional elections that will take place, along with the Duma election, on September 19.

Continue reading →
Posted in Elections | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

On restructuring and reconstruction

Posted on April 24, 2021 by

Vladimir Putin’s proposals to restructure the debt of Russian regions will likely provide regions with some much-needed fiscal relief in an election year. Putin expects governors to come up with ideas, spend on them and take responsibility for their implementation. But don’t get too excited: the federal government will remain in charge and the proposals foresee no major structural change, be it political or economic. Indeed, debt relief is likely to remain uneven, and without significant investment growth, Putin’s proposals will just kick the can further down the road, while leading to further fiscal and political centralization.

Continue reading →
Posted in Policies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Empty promises

Posted on April 18, 2021 by

A boastful statement by a party chairman and a meandering interview with a Duma deputy offer a glimpse onto the limits that “systemic” opposition parties and their politicians have to observe in Russia, and how they are trying to use the opportunities that the system provides. They also suggest that as Russian politics is becoming more authoritarian and polarized, these opportunities are fading, which is also a risk for the authorities.

Continue reading →
Posted in Elections | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Not up to data

Posted on April 7, 2021 by

The Russian authorities have shifted gears in their attempt to control information flows in the country, but this does not only concern data leaks and information published by investigative outlets. Two recent stories serve as reminders that the authorities are increasingly unwilling to publicize or tolerate unflattering data on the state of the country. This endangers policymaking and usually does not even work.

Continue reading →
Posted in Policies | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

NY Dispatches: voting rights for Donbas residents?

Posted on March 17, 2021 by

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 – who hold Russian citizenship to vote in this year’s Duma election. How could this happen and what are the risks?

Continue reading →
Posted in Dispatches, Elections | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Elections ahead – Part IV

Posted on March 9, 2021 by

Six months before this year’s Duma election Russia’s political landscape is in flux. The future of “smart voting” remains a factor of uncertainty. Shifts in public opinion, the Kremlin’s new red lines and how the systemic opposition has reacted to these, however, provide some clues about the political space that will be contested in the coming months.

Continue reading →
Posted in Elections, Policies | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment