Russian elites are worried. The economic recession, Western sanctions, and semi-isolation are endangering the personal and professional interests of most of the upper middle classes, scientific and cultural elites, top-ranking administrators, and small and medium entrepreneurs. The new confrontational course in relations with Western countries undermines the Putin leadership’s “contract” with elites and the middle class: enrich yourselves and leave the rest to us. The good years are over. Even a rise in oil prices will not ensure return to steady growth and higher salaries anytime soon.
Do new uncertainties have an impact on elites’ submission to the regime? Most of …read more
Russian Elites are Worried: The Unpredictability of Putinism
![The German Marshall Fund of the United States](https://research.uaposition.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/The-German-Marshall-Fund-of-the-United-States-1024x292.jpg)