Carnegie Moscow Center
The European Union has an opportunity to make a significant difference in their eastern borderlands, through a combination of social, economic, and political incentives.
When Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and President Dmitry Medvedev switch places in March, Putin will have the opportunity to consolidate his leadership as president, while the prime minister will be forced to take responsibility for unpopular decisions by the next government.
Putin’s return to the Russian presidency will not undo the U.S.-Russia reset, but it will change the dynamics of the relationship between Moscow and Washington.
Putin’s new term will largely bring a continuation of the status quo and while his grip on power will arouse anxieties in the West, he will not undo the U.S.-Russia reset.
In Russia, an increasing number of personnel changes are taking place in anticipation of the upcoming presidential election in March.
The political logic behind the decision to replace St. Petersburg Governor Valentina Matviyenko with Georgy Poltavchenko, the non-charismatic presidential envoy to the Central Federal District, remains unclear.
Russian liberals, like many of their counterparts across Russian society, need to set aside their patronizing attitude toward Ukraine and their longing for the historical might of the Soviet Union.
Russia’s next president must improve financial regulation and reduce the country’s dependence on oil revenue in order to prevent economic growth from deteriorating in the coming years.
The regional primaries for the State Duma elections in December demonstrate a growing intra-party democracy and political competition that will likely aid United Russia in holding onto its Duma majority, although it will not solve the problem of United Russia’s declining legitimacy.
While the proposals put forward by President Dmitry Medvedev in a recent speech were new and original, the speech also reinforced his image as a president who makes bold statements but takes little action.