Federation Without Federalism Relations Between Moscow and the Regions
49 FEDERATION WITHOUT FEDERALISM RELATIONS BETWEEN MOSCOW AND THE REGIONS Jadwiga Rogoża NUMBER 49 WARSAW APril 2014 FEDERATION WITHOUT FEDERALISM RELATIONS BETWEEN MOSCOW AND THE REGIONS Jadwiga Rogoża © Copyright by Ośrodek Studiów Wschodnich im. Marka Karpia / Centre for Eastern Studies Content editors Adam Eberhardt, Marek Menkiszak Editor Halina Kowalczyk CO-OPERATION Anna Łabuszewska, Katarzyna Kazimierska Translation Jadwiga Rogoża CO-OPeration Jim Todd GraPhic design Para-buch PHOTOGRAPH ON COVER Shutterstock DTP GroupMedia MAPS Wojciech Mańkowski Publisher Ośrodek Studiów Wschodnich im. Marka Karpia Centre for Eastern Studies ul. Koszykowa 6a, Warsaw, Poland Phone + 48 /22/ 525 80 00 Fax: + 48 /22/ 525 80 40 osw.waw.pl ISBN 978-83-62936-43-4 Contents KEY POINTS /5 INTRODUCTION /8 I. POST-SOVIET NEGOTIATED FEDERALISM /10 II. THE LANDSCAPE AFTER CENTRALISATION /13 III. A MULTI-SPEED RUSSIA /18 IV. FERMENT IN THE REGIONS /29 V. MONOCENTRISM STRIKES BACK /34 VI. PROSPECTS: DECENTRALISATION AHEAD (BUT WHAT KIND OF DECENTRALISATION?) /41 MAPS /44 KEY POINTS • The territorial extensiveness of the Russian Federation brings about an immense diversity in terms of geographic, economic and ethnic features of individual regions. This diversity is reflected by serious disparities in the regions’ levels of development, as well as their national identity, civic awareness, social and political activity. We are in fact dealing with a ‘mul- ti-speed Russia’: along with the economically developed, post-industrial regions inhabited by active communities, there are poverty-stricken, in- ertial regions, dependent on support and subsidies from the centre. Large cities, with their higher living standards, concentration of social capital, a growing need for pluralism in politics and elections characterised by competition constitute specific ‘islands of activity’ on Russia’s map.
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