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The Labors of Sisyphus: Why Russia’s National Projects Are Put On Hold

Details: 02 April 2020; András Tóth-Czifra

Russia’s new prime minister, Mikhail Mishustin, was tasked with pushing forward the stalling national projects amidst the political transition initiated by Vladimir Putin earlier this year. Today, as the COVID-19 pandemic and Moscow’s oil price war with OPEC hits the Russian economy hard, the chances for the projects to be successfully carried out this year are getting slim. Moreover, a closer look at the government efforts shows that even before these crises, implementation of the national projects was already problematic.

Details: News

Twenty Years under Putin

Details: 26 March 2020

The Institute of Modern Russia is launching a new project, “Russia under Putin,” to mark the 20th anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s first election as president.

Details: Opinions

Putin’s Rules

Details: 17 March 2020; Yana Gorokhovskaia

On March 16, Russia’s Constitutional Court approved the proposed amendments to the Constitution, clearing the way for Vladimir Putin to stay in power beyond 2024, with the upcoming referendum likely being a mere formality. The swiftness of the process signals that legitimacy through adherence to formal rules no longer matters to Putin, and, perhaps, never did.

Details: Opinions

Not Money, But Lives: The Real Cost of the Yukos Case

Details: 06 March 2020; Leonid Nevzlin

A Dutch appeals court has recently overturned the 2016 decision of the Hague District Court to annul a $50 billion award to shareholders in the Yukos oil company and reinstates the 2014 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration. Hailing to the rule of law, former Yukos top-manager, Israel-based businessman and IMR trustee Leonid Nevzlin points out that the Yukos case should not be measured in money.

Details: Analysis

Governors Redux

How regional and local governments became a problem for Putin

Details: 28 February 2020; András Tóth-Czifra

One of the underreported stories in Russian politics is the growing tensions between the federal government in Moscow and the regions. Increasingly centralized revenues and political authority along with undue preferences given to Moscow have sparked regional crises, signaling the problem to Vladimir Putin directly. It appears that he will try to solve this problem by codifying bottom-up accountability, instead of strengthening local governance. That’s a mistake.

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