Putin's Post-Election Dilemma

{
  "authors": [
    "Matthew Rojansky"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "",
  "programs": [
    "Russia and Eurasia"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "Caucasus",
    "Russia"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Political Reform"
  ]
}

In The Media

Putin's Post-Election Dilemma

As he returns to the presidency, Putin must prove to the Russian protestors that he has heard their voices and demands for reform.

By Matthew Rojansky

Published on Mar 5, 2012

Source: Russia Today

In an interview with Russia Today, Carnegie’s Matthew Rojansky argued that many in the United States see Putin as “a symbol of the past” and someone who stands “on the wrong side of history in backing Bashar Assad.” He added that the “opposition in Russia comes in many different flavors,” including what he called the “moral opposition” that opposes Putin’s system but remains reluctant to organize politically.

Turning to the protests, Rojansky explained that Putin can no longer afford to ignore this increasingly outspoken constituency and must “show them [protestors] that he has heard their voices.” Putin argues that he brought stability to Russia, but Russian citizens “realize that the work of building the Russian state and building the Russian economy was not on Putin’s back alone,” Rojansky concluded.

Political Reform Caucasus Russia

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center

Commentary
Diwan
Iran’s Woes Aren’t Only Domestic
The country’s leadership is increasingly uneasy about multiple challenges from the Levant to the South Caucasus.
Armenak Tokmajyan
Commentary
Diwan
From Prague With a Shove
In an interview, Daniela Richterova speaks about her book on Czechoslovakia’s Cold War ties to Palestinian groups and others.
Michael Young
Commentary
Diwan
The Syria Fiasco As Seen From Moscow
The downfall of the Assad regime represented a setback, but Russia’s primary focus remains Ukraine.
Sergei Melkonian
Commentary
Diwan
Anatomy of a Military Fall
Why did Bashar al-Assad’s armed forces fail to act, unlike those in Egypt, Libya, Algeria, and Sudan?
Yezid Sayigh
Commentary
Diwan
Bashar al-Assad of Syria Has Been Ousted From Power
Spot analysis from Carnegie scholars on events relating to the Middle East and North Africa.

Armenak Tokmajyan

More Work from Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center