Putin: Russia's Choice

by Sakwa; Richard

• ISBN13: 9780415296632
• ISBN10: 0415296633
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-12-29
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Vladimir Putin has had a major domestic and international impact since being elected Russian President in March 2000 and yet remarkably little is known about the man in the West. This book, written by one of the UK's leading scholars of Russian politics, is the first major study of the man and his politics. Richard Sakwa's discussion provides the biographical and political context to explain Putin's astonishing rise from anonymous KGB apparatchik to leader of one of the world's most important and significant countries. The book explains Putin's personal and intellectual development and his ability to effect social and political change. His attempts to reform the endemic corruption of the Russian state and to reshape its political system and national identity are explored alongside his economic, social, cultural, regional and foreign policies. The author also examines the close personal relationships that Putin has forged with other world leaders such as President George W. Bush, Prime Minister TonyBlair and German Chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder. Drawing on both Russian and English-language sources, and providing comprehensive coverage of Putin's speeches, interviews and policy documents, this is the definitive study of the Russian leader.

Author Biography

Richard Sakwa is Professor of Politics at the University of Kent.

Table of Contents

List of tables	vii
Preface	viii
Acknowledgements	xi
The unlikely path to power	1	(33)
The unlikely making of a leader	2	(13)
The succession operation	15	(19)
The ideas behind the choice	34	(26)
Who is mister Putin?	35	(2)
The Russian `transition' and beyond	37	(6)
Russia at the turn of the millennium	43	(4)
Planning for the future	47	(4)
The state of the nation	51	(2)
The `normalisation' of politics	53	(7)
The Putin way	60	(23)
Building the Putin bloc	61	(7)
Putin and the people	68	(5)
Leadership and style	73	(5)
Putin's path: towards a Russian `third way'?	78	(5)
State and society	83	(30)
State and regime	83	(7)
State strengthening as politics or law	90	(6)
The `liquidation of the oligarchs as a class'	96	(7)
Freedom of speech and the media	103	(4)
Judicial reform and human rights	107	(6)
Restructuring political space	113	(17)
Change to the party system	113	(5)
Changes to electoral legislation	118	(1)
Parliamentary realignment	119	(3)
Regime and opposition	122	(3)
Democracy and civil society	125	(5)
Putin and the regions	130	(31)
Segmented regionalism	130	(5)
The reconstitution of federal relations	135	(6)
Establishing the presidential `vertical'	141	(5)
Reorganising federal relations	146	(6)
Regional governors and legislatures	152	(3)
State reconstitution and federalism	155	(6)
Reforging the nation	161	(21)
Images of the nation and symbols of the state	161	(9)
Chechnya: tombstone or crucible of Russian power?	170	(12)
Russian capitalism	182	(25)
Entering the market	182	(8)
Models of capitalism - oligarchical democracy?	190	(11)
State, economy and society	201	(6)
Putin and the world	207	(27)
The normalisation of foreign policy	207	(8)
Putin's choice	215	(6)
Practising normality	221	(13)
Conclusion	234	(17)
Appendix: Russia at the turn of the millennium	251	(12)
Notes	263	(30)
Select bibliography	293	(3)
Index	296