Tag Archives: governors

On regional finances, Varangians vs locals, and others

Looking back on the past couple of weeks in Russian politics, I am going over the state of regional finances as of the end of May, pointing out why and where there are politically risky pressure points that will not … Continue reading

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On the drivers of the municipal reform, what makes Putin and Orban tick, and others

Looking back on the past couple of weeks in Russian politics, I am trying to explain why the Kremlin is eager to merge municipalities, a policy executed in several regions, which may become a federal law later this year. I … Continue reading

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On the government reshuffle

The first substantial changes to the composition of Russia’s broader federal government since February 2022 took place over the weekend. But how substantial were they? Here are a couple of initial thoughts on the (potentially still ongoing) changes, on Belousov, … Continue reading

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On dismissals and score-settling, new directions for public administration and others

On the Kremlin’s cautious personnel policy running parallel to increasingly bold score-settling enabled by the domestic political agenda, a creeping public administration reform, and more.

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On dismissals, recruitment and others

Thoughts on dismissals and arrests in the regions after the presidential election and before this year’s gubernatoropad. What do recruitment efforts by regional authorities tell us about how Russia works today? And some stories from the regions that didn’t make … Continue reading

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On schools and verticals

With the launch of the “School of Mayors” in November, the Kremlin took another step towards the corporatization of public administration in Russia. This happens alongside a severe restriction of local democratic institutions. This would carry risks even in a … Continue reading

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Signals from the mountains

Over the past weeks, the Republic of Altai, a small, rural region bordering China and Kazakhstan was, if not at the top of Russia’s domestic news agenda, but at least noted. The reason was an ongoing dispute between the governor … Continue reading

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