Aude Merlin,
2012-2013, 1st semester
« Russian Politics », POLI D 402, Thursday, 12-2pm
R 42- 5
The course is comprised of twelve 2 hour sessions.
Evaluation: Students have to deliver an oral presentation and to write an 8 page
critique of a book chosen from a given list.
Regarding the oral presentation:
Each student will have to deliver an oral presentation on a subject chosen from a
given list. The presentation must last 15 minutes maximum and has to answer a precise
question. The object is not to deliver a long and boring lecture on the topic you choose, but to
clarify the main factors of the question and to inspire a debate among the students.
Regarding the written work:
The 8 page critique has to be handed in to the Professor by email
(amerlin@ulb.ac.be) AND on a paper copy in my mailbox (next to S 11-119, in the
CEVIPOL’s secretariat, S 11 123) by the 10th of January 2013.
Be careful! It is not a summary, but a critique, which has to be organized in the correct
way. The first part may consist of a summary (including a presentation of the author) but you
should develop the body of the critique according to your own opinion and referring to other
works on the topic.
Essential Reading for the course:
Fish Steven, Democracy derailed in Russia, The failure of open politics, Cambridge,
Cambridge University Press, 2005.
Sakwa Richard, Putin: Russia's choice, Routledge, London, New York, 2008.
Shevtsova Lilia, Russia lost in transition: the Yeltsin and Putin legacies, Washington, DC:
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2007.
Articles
Carothers Thomas, « The End of the Transition Paradigm », Journal of Democracy,
Vol. 13, N°1, janvier 2002.
Gelman Vladimir, « Political opposition in Russia: A Dying Species? », Post-Soviet Affairs, 2005, Vol.
21, n°3. pp. 226-246.
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Gelman, Vladimir, « Party Politics in Russia: From Competition to Hierarchy », Europe-Asia Studies,
Vol. 60, n°6 août 2008, pp. 913 – 930.
Gelman Vladimir, « From ‘Fleckless Pluralism’ to ‘Dominant Power Politics’? The Transformation of
Russia’s Party System », Democratization, Vol.13, N°4, août 2006
Kryshtanovskaya Ol'ga, « The Russian Elite in Transition », Journal of Communist
Studies and Transition Politics, Vol.24, No.4, December 2008
Luke March, « Managing opposition in a hybrid regime: Just Russia and parastatal opposition », Slavic
Review, N°68, Vol. 3, 2009. pp. 504-527.
Malfliet Katlijn, « The Communist Party of the Russian Federation: not Communist
per se », Revue d’études comparatives est-ouest, vol. 42, N°1, mars 2011
Oversloot Hans, Verheul Ruben, « Managing Democracy: Political Parties and the
State in Russia », Journal of Communist Studies and Transition Politics, Vol. 22, N°3,
septembre 2006
Riggs Jonathan W., Schraeder Peter J., « Russia’s Political Party System as an
Impediment to Democratization », Demokratizatsiya, Vol. 12, N°2, printemps 2004.
Sakwa Richard, « Perestroika and the Challenge of Democracy in Russia »,
Demokratizatsiya, Vol. 13, N°2, printemps 2005. pp. 255-277.
Smyth Regina, Lowry Anna, Wilkening Brandon, « Engineering Victory: Institutional
Reform, Informal Institutions, and the Formation of a Hegemonic Party Regime in the
Russian Federation », Post-Soviet Affairs, Vol. 23, n°2, avril-juin 2007
Wegren Stephen K., Konitzer Andrew, « Prospects for Managed Democracy in
Russia », Europe-Asia Studies, Vol. 59, n°6, septembre 2007
White David, « Victims of a Managed Democracy? Explaining the Electoral Decline
of the Yabloko Party », Demokratizatsiya, Vol. 15, n°2, Printemps 2007
Objectives:
This course of lectures aims to deliver some thoughts and reflections on Russian
politics since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.
Contrary to widespread expectations, Russia did not undergo a democratic transition.
We will analyze the reasons for this from different angles.
First of all, we will dedicate the first sessions to a revision of what happened at the
breakup of the Soviet Union, mainly from the political, national and economic points of view.
Secondly, we will scrutinize the way the young post-Soviet Russian state was built, with the
goal of building a democracy, despite the long-lasting legacy of the Soviet Union.
Finally, we will analyze how V. Putin, when he came to power, came to
embody the “order” that Russian society was longing for and we will try to describe what is
really behind this so-called order, and how today’s Russian political system functions.
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Session 1. Thursday 20th September 2012:
A brief presentation of Russia and the Soviet legacy. Questioning the notion of the postSoviet democratic transition.
The Soviet system and why perestroika happened. The first reforms of perestroika.
Be careful, 27th of September is a day off in French speaking Belgium => We will have a
lecture instead on 20th of December.
Please be aware that there will be a research seminar on 26 September on Russian nationalism
Session 2. Thursday 4th October 2012:
1985-1991, a major turning point.
Gorbachev’s reforms: Uskorenie (acceleration), glasnost’ (openness), perestroïka
(restructuring).
An impossible gamble? Reforming the State and its institutions whilst keeping the Soviet
Union and its ideology.
Session 3. Thursday 11th October 2012:
« Fresh from the field »
Session 4. Thursday 18th October 2012:
Gorbachev’s reforms /
«New Russia »: becoming an independent State. An ambiguous project.
From democratic institutions to backwardness.

First pluralistic elections

The development of multi-party politics
Presentations:
Are there genuine political parties in Russia? MARTIN
United Russia’: genuine political party or nomenklaturist bloc? SERGHEI
Session 5. Thursday 25th October 2012:
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From democratic institutions to backwardness. (2)
Presentation: What went wrong? ANDREI
1st November is a day off.
Session 6. Thursday 8th November 2012:
«New Russia »: becoming an independent State. An ambiguous project.
Building the Russian State into a multi-ethnic Federal State.
Presentation: Is the Chechen war over? / NATHALIE
How is Kadyrov’s power built? Anais
Session 7. Thursday 15th November 2012.
Local government in Russia
Presentation: Discuss the reintroduction of universal suffrage for local governors JULIAN
Presentation: Comparing Tatarstan and Chechnya: Irene
The role of migrants in the Russian economy: GOSIA
Conflict in Georgia from an internal point of view (Relations North Osetia / South Osetia)
Gabriel
Session 8. Thursday 22nd November 2012
Economic transition in Russia. From large scale economic crisis to State oligarchy.
Presentations:
Do fossil fuels (coal,gas,oil) support the whole Russian economy? JULIEN
Foreign investors in the Russian economy. ELINA
The press, the media and the oligarchs in Russia : NATALIA ALBUQUERQUE
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Gazprom’s relationship with Russian power MATHIEU WORME
''The revival of religion in post-soviet Russia'' Stefan Morar
Session 9. Thursday 29th November 2012.
Analyzing the electoral cycle 2011-2012
Presentations:
"The issues of the cross-boarder cooperation in the Federation of Russia". Thomas KOX
Street demonstrations in Russia in 2011-2012 / NATALIA GORZOLKA /
United Russia: is it a “populist” party? Merav
What are the role of the social networks in political mobilization in Russia ?" CHARLENE
The relationship between NATO and Russia from a Russian perspective. Nicolas Paermentier
Session 10. Thursday 6th December 2012.
“Russian society in turmoil”
Presentations:
Progressing towards an emerging middle class? MARTINA
Civil society/ The new law: Tomasz Klosowicz
Strengths and weaknesses of the social system FILIPS
Demographic crisis in Russia LYDIA
Labor Unions / Working class NEAL
Session 11.Thursday 13th December 2012.
Katia Gloriozova will deliver a presentation on « Football and Politics in Russia »
Presentations :
Human rights in Russia after 1991 : Agnes Balla
"The struggle against xenophobia and extreme-right violence in Russia: what results?
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CHARLOTTE
Session 12. Thursday 20th of December 2012
« Fresh from the field » - Loe Lagrange will share her experience as an electoral
observer in a OSCE team in Russia and Belarus.
How would you qualify the Russian political regime?
Training for a critique.
Laurent Mariage : Is Sochi a big challenge for Russia?
Oligarchs in Yeltsin's Russia, Pierre Boonen (ou le 20 décembre)
Ameline Berthonnaud ?
Extra themes:
Can the so called opposition parties harness the power of this discontent?
History and historiography AMAEL not here
SLAVYANA not here/ PRESS MEDIA?
ALBARO waiting for confirmation
Ecology as a new motivation for protest CRISTINA no here
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