Presentation in «Politeia»: the Centre for Political Technologies on Russian Realities
Degrees and Laws: the Process of Legislative Decision-Making
This article analyses the general pattern of making legislative decisions in post-1993 Russia. The article outlines the general political complications of law-making in a transitional society. Further, it analyses presidental decrees as a specific form of legislation which became customary in Russia in the early 1990s. Arguing that the political expediency of «legislation executive» declines as the country develops a professional, albeit politically controversial legislative authority, the author proceeds to analyse various aspects of the legislative process in the State Duma, the Lower House of Russian Parliament. The overall conclusion of the author is that though many criticisms of State Duma’s behaviour are true, the Lower House has developed considerable experience in law-making therefore, as the author argues, the general trend in the Russian politics is towards conciliation and dialogue between the executive and the legislative branches of power.
DOI: 10.30570/2078-5089-1997-5-3-5-19
Pages: 5-19
Government and Business: a Turning Point in Interrelation
The article discusses in details the present stage of interrelation between Government and Business. The author outlines the vulnerability of the means by which some leaders of the executive power intent to weaken the «oligarchy» and to get over the fusion of the government and the capital. The paper also deals with strong and weak aspects on an alternative model built up on an institutional interrelation between government and business. From the point of view of A. Zudin the governmental pattern of Russian State will depend on interrelations of these two agents of modernisation on how they will cope.
DOI: 10.30570/2078-5089-1997-5-3-20-34
Pages: 20-34
Igor Bunin, Petr Venediktov, Boris Makarenko
Boris Nemtsov: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow
This paper draws a politica; portrait of Boris Nemtsov, First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia and the alleged «heir apparent» to the incumbent President. It includes Nemtsov’s political biography as a member of the first post-Communist Russian parliament and governor of Nizhny Novgorod, the motives for his transfer to the federal government, Nemtsov’s performance in the cabinet position and his relations with other key figures of the Russian political scene (President Yeltsin, Prime Minister Chernomyrdin and another first deputy premier Chubais, leader of «Yabloko» political bloc Yavlinsky). The concluding chapter discusses Nemtsov’s political strengths and weaknesses and looks at various scenarios of his future political career.
DOI: 10.30570/2078-5089-1997-5-3-35-48
Pages: 35-48
Parafigm of Economy: Points of View
Dmitry Tchernavsky, Andrei Schrbakov
Economy of Russia: Stabilisation or Stagnation?
The authors look into the problems of present Russian economy and evoke possible ways of getting out of the crisis. At their point of view the monetarist approach is not able to lead the country out from the crisis. To the change of an economical strategy elaborated abroad there must come an own strategy which would take into account the interests and particularities of Russia.
DOI: 10.30570/2078-5089-1997-5-3-49-58
Pages: 49-58
Abilities and Difficulties of the Economical Liberalism
The author conciders that the optimal economic conversion in Russia are radical thrifty reforms (according to recommendations which have been made by a number of foreign economists). These reforms have been started in 1992 by the Government of Egor Gaidar but have been stopped at his dismissal. The main significance of these reforms resides in the forming of an economy which at the first rate would be orientated towards the growth of consumption and prosperity.
DOI: 10.30570/2078-5089-1997-5-3-59-65
Pages: 59-65
International Security
Russia and Regional Regimes of Security: a New Paradigm?
Post-Cold world is evolving towards complex dependency and multi-polar structure of international relations in both economic and security spheres, thus making international security cooperation a challenging task for the XXI century. The notion of hierarchical collective security in the region is being replaced by a series of international security regimes based on cooperative security concept. Being rather a weak partner to provide regional security at the moment, Russia is still a key player in Europe and Asia Pacific, due to its nuclear and UN status as well as an indisputable potential.
DOI: 10.30570/2078-5089-1997-5-3-66-75
Pages: 66-75
Russian Peacekeeping Operations: External Perspective
The purpose of the paper is to contribute to a brief but reasonably accurate picture of what Russian Peacekeeping Operations actually encompass, the knowledge of which is a precondition for the West to act, react and respond to Russian developments in a coherent and responsible manner. Author implies that instability and conflict in the CIS region will most probably remain on the international security agenda for a long time to come. Author assumes that allowing conflicts to «burn themselves out» is not a sustainable option due to the humanitarian, moral, economic and social consequences of such a policy. Russia is currently peacekeeping within the CIS, because it serves Russia’s national interests; the West is not, because it doesn’t. Essentially, the two issues taken together generate the overriding dilemma of Russian peacekeeping in the former Soviet Union.
DOI: 10.30570/2078-5089-1997-5-3-76-87
Pages: 76-87
Russian Peacekeeping Operations: an Inside View
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union a number of «hot spots» emerged on the post-Soviet space, due to historical, political, ethic, religious etc. reasons. Russia and other CIS countries have to deal with a new generation of regional conflicts, by means of peacekeeping. Russian involvement is being defined by the national security interest considerations, as well as a special responsability for stability and human rights in the regions. Russian peacekeeping advocate more active involvement in the UN and other international institutions.
DOI: 10.30570/2078-5089-1997-5-3-88-90
Pages: 88-90
Appendix
Activity Tendencies of Russian Parties (Autumn 1997)
In the appendix to the issue Yu. Korguniuk provides an overview of the Russia parties dynamics during the autumn of 1997 within the framework of major events.
DOI: 10.30570/2078-5089-1997-5-3-91-101
Pages: 91-101