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“Against All” and for the Kremlin?

Details: 21 January 2014; Tatiana Stanovaya

Despite doubts that it would do so, the Kremlin agreed to restore the “against all” ballot option in elections for positions at all levels of government, except presidential elections. On January 17, the State Duma passed this bill on the first reading. The “against all” option, abolished by Vladimir Putin in 2006, is being revived in the context of the electoral system reform. According to political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya, the Kremlin has been forced to adapt to the new rules of the game, which it can no longer fully control.

Details: World

Putin’s Far-Right Friends in Europe

Details: 16 January 2014; Elena Servettaz

Relations between the Kremlin and the European Union have been steadily worsening: Russian officials are increasingly resorting to anti-Western rhetoric, while EU leaders are becoming bolder in their criticism of human rights abuses in Russia. Yet, according to Paris-based author and analyst Elena Servettaz, the Kremlin has found new allies in Europe’s growing far-right movements.

Details: Politics

Russia 2014: Challenges of the New Year

Details: 15 January 2014; Tatiana Stanovaya

The year 2014 will be an intense one for Russia. In February, Sochi will host the Olympic Games. The G8 summit will also be held in Sochi in June. Ukraine, relations with which are far from settled, will remain the Kremlin’s foreign policy priority. But political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya suggests that it is domestic policy that will prove the most uncertain: Russian President Vladimir Putin will have to choose between a further “crackdown” and “controlled plurality.”

Details: World

U.S.-Russia Relations in 2013: A Year of Living Ambiguously

Details: 15 January 2014; Donald N. Jensen

The year 2013 was not an easy one for the United States, and Russian President Vladimir Putin used the situation to strengthen his position both on the world stage and in the post-Soviet space. Donald N. Jensen, Resident Fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, argues that the Kremlin should not expect similar diplomatic victories in 2014.

Details: Politics

Putin’s Olympic Fever

Details: 14 January 2014; Alexander Podrabinek

The city of Sochi has been placed under a de facto state of emergency for the duration of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Author and analyst Alexander Podrabinek emphasizes the unlawful nature of the restrictions imposed by Vladimir Putin, and expresses disappointment over the lack of reaction from Western democracies.

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