The Reconfiguration of the Regime in Russia

At the start of the year, the Kremlin mooted unprecedented changes in the balance of power between Russia’s political institutions, as well as amendments in the constitution. The COVID-19 pandemic, among other factors, changed the context and presented new challenges to this process, not least for Vladimir Putin himself. Unsurprisingly however, the Kremlin’s proposed restructuring has not transpired to be as extensive as had been intimated. Nonetheless, change is afoot and this event considers the extent to which it is meaningful and significant. Arkady Ostrovsky discusses changes in Russia’s political economy and external factors in this process. Nikolay Petrov speaks about the state of political institutions and the shifting relations between the centre and the regions. Ekaterina Schulmann discusses the role of the State Duma and its 2021 elections.