Legislators in Russian Regions Active but in a Very Different Way than in 1990s, One that is Making Russia as a Whole Even Less Free, ‘Svobodnaya Pressa’ Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Jan. 1 – In the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union, regional and local legislative assemblies in Russia adopted numerous laws in an effort to boost the status and powers of their localities. Now, they are also passing numerous laws but they are doing to attract attention by being more catholic than the pope – that is, more Putinist than Putin.

            “Almost all legislative initiatives” in the regions and cities are all about demonstrating loyalty and attracting attention,” the Svobodnaya Pressa portal notes; but in their efforts to do so, the legislators outside of Moscow are often going further than Moscow wants (svpressa.ru/politic/article/400217/).

            And at a time when the center sets the agenda, such initiatives may be a testing ground for what the Kremlin may do next. If the regional initiatives catch on and win support, Moscow can go along; but if they cause trouble, then the central government is always in a position to suppress the legislators beyond the ring road.

            In either case, Svobodnaya pressa suggests, the result is an even more repressive situation than the one the Duma has already done so much to promote.