Analysis - Institute of Modern Russia

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Comédie Française: Why Marine Le Pen Will Not Become President

Details: World

Comédie Française: Why Marine Le Pen Will Not Become President

Details: 13 May 2015; Elena Servettaz

Moscow, an adherent to the principle of “divide and rule,” has long been attempting to split Europe by garnering the support of far-right and extreme left-wing political groups. Recently, for instance, dubious ties between the Kremlin and the French National Front have become increasingly obvious. While the popularity of the National Front within France is growing despite family friction between the head of the party, Marine Le Pen, and her father, the founder of the party Jean-Marie Le Pen, it’s early yet for the Kremlin to cry victory. As journalist Elena Servettaz explains, Marine Le Pen will never make it to the helm of the French Republic.

Is Radical Nationalism in Russia Getting Out of Control?

Details: Politics

Is Radical Nationalism in Russia Getting Out of Control?

Details: 12 May 2015; Donald N. Jensen

Radical nationalism has long been one of the leading threats to Russia’s national security. However, in recent years, and especially during the Ukraine crisis, the Kremlin has tried to co-opt the nationalists to use them to mobilize the population. At the moment, according to Donald Jensen, resident fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations, there are increasing signs that the political situation may be gradually drifting out of the president’s control.

Putin’s Patriotism Campaign: A Dangerous Bunch of Hot Air

Details: Politics

Putin’s Patriotism Campaign: A Dangerous Bunch of Hot Air

Details: 08 May 2015; Ezekiel Pfeifer

The 70th anniversary of the victory over Germany in World War II has been increasingly viewed in Russia as an unprecedented event of historic and national scale. This view has been shaped by the sharp rise of patriotic sentiment caused by the Kremlin’s adventures in Ukraine and hysterical propaganda in the state media. According to independent Russia analyst Ezekiel Pfeifer, the tragedy of today’s patriotic campaign is that it relies on deceit and obscures the fact that Putin has failed to foster real achievements for Russians to take pride in.

A New Wave of Emigration: The Best Are Leaving Part 2

Details: Nation

A New Wave of Emigration: The Best Are Leaving Part 2

Details: 23 April 2015; Ksenia Semenova

In the first part of this special research project on Russian emigration, we talked about the extent to which emigration is occurring, and media coverage, expert opinions, and the nature of statistics pertaining to this topic. In the second part of the research, journalist Ksenia Semenova analyzes the results of a survey conducted among those who left Russia in the period from 2012 to 2014. Many of these people still do not call themselves emigrants.

The Iran Deal: Moscow Crossed Another “Red Line”

Details: World

The Iran Deal: Moscow Crossed Another “Red Line”

Details: 21 April 2015; Donald N. Jensen

On April 13, Russian president Vladimir Putin cleared the way for the long-postponed delivery of Russian S-300 missiles to Iran. He thus demonstrated his determination to boost Russia’s economic and security ties to Tehran in the wake of a new interim deal curbing Iran’s nuclear program. Donald Jensen, resident fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations, argues that Russia is likely to be the big loser from such a deal over the long term.

Why Doesn’t Russia Censor the Internet Like China?

Details: Nation

Why Doesn’t Russia Censor the Internet Like China?

Details: 15 April 2015; Ezekiel Pfeifer

Freedom of information abuse is among the key problems in Russia today. While the Kremlin established control over the country’s traditional mass media a while ago, restrictions on the Internet have gone into place quite recently. Independent Russia analyst Ezekiel Pfeifer evaluates the Kremlin’s current tactics in handling online information.

Risks of Delayed Lustrations

Details: Law

Risks of Delayed Lustrations

Details: 14 April 2015; Ekaterina Mishina

Ukraine’s lustration process has given rise to much unfavorable criticism and triggered heated discussion. IMR advisor Ekaterina Mishina analyzes the experience of lustration, or the purging of government officials previously associated with the Communist Party, in the post-Soviet space and points out its risks in Ukraine.

Is the Iran Deal a Game Changer for Russia?

Details: Economics

Is the Iran Deal a Game Changer for Russia?

Details: 09 April 2015; Olga Khvostunova

On April 2, six world powers signed a tentative deal with Iran regarding its nuclear program. Should it be finalized in June, one of the outcomes of the deal will be the lifting of the oil embargo from Iran—a country that has some of the world’s largest oil and gas reserves. IMR analyst and editor-in-chief of imrussia.org, Olga Khvostunova, discusses how the deal could affect the Russian energy sector.

A New Emigration: The Best Are Leaving. Part 1

Details: Nation

A New Emigration: The Best Are Leaving. Part 1

Details: 07 April 2015; Ksenia Semenova

Over the last few months, the beginning of a new wave of Russian emigration has sparked debates in the Russian and Western media. But are we really witnessing a surge in emigration? In the first part of a special research project for the Institute of Modern Russia, journalist Ksenia Semenova analyzes the nature and extent of this trend, as well as expert opinions and the matter of registering emigrants.

Marc Plattner: “If Russia Had Become Democratic, the World Would Look Very Different Now”

Details: Politics

Marc Plattner: “If Russia Had Become Democratic, the World Would Look Very Different Now”

Details: 02 April 2015; Denis Volkov

Over the last year, the debate on how to describe Russia’s political regime has intensified. Levada Center sociologist Denis Volkov discusses this issue with Marc Plattner, vice president for research and studies at the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and coeditor of the Journal of Democracy.

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