Putin’s State Machine Increasingly Dysfunctional in Six Ways, Solovey Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, June 22 – MGIMO professor and commentator Valery Solovey says there are six trends in Russian governance today that suggest the conclusion that “the dysfunction of state administration” in Putin’s Russia is growing (echo.msk.ru/blog/vsolovej/2003700-echo/). The six he points to are:

1.      “Strategic goal setting is lacking: bureaucrats aren’t able to discover the meaning and goals of state policy.”

2.      “The old pact between the supreme power and elites – enrichment in exchange for loyalty – has been irretrievably destroyed. The new one – unity and firmness in the face of geopolitical challenges – does not generate enthusiasm and is losing definition.”

3.      “The deficit of resources and positive sanctions is compensated by repression sanctions (‘the struggle with corruption’). A lack of comprehension of their logic does not so much increase loyalty and sow fear and leads to administrative paralysis.”

4.      “The feedback link with society has been destroyed in a catastrophic way. The authorities respond to political protests with repressions, an approach that can lead to a spiral of confrontation.”

5.      “The obvious collision between centers of influence is lowering the capacity of the apparatus as a whole and sharply increasing the risk of strategically dangerous decision.” Solovey cites the example of Moscow’s plans to demolish the khrushchoby.

6.      “The informal intra-elite communications which had compensated for the lack of institutions have been destroyed and are ceasing to work.”