There are headlines everywhere about the decision of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Russian President Dmitrii Medvedev to flip-flop positions. That means that Putin would again become president, and then Medvedev would become prime minister when their current terms are up. See for example,
Putin to Run for Presidency in 2012. There is also a lot commentary, for example, Analysts' View: Putin to Return to the Kremlin. Again, this is not really surprising, since Putin is the real force in Russian politics, and he is going to stay the main force; whatever formal political position he holds. It is also clear that there is currently no one who has any sort of mandate to challenge him--that person would also have to be especially brave. This also means that Russia, much like the US, is kind of stuck in a holding pattern--although for different reasons that what is happening in the US--and that critical socio-economic challenges to both societies are not going to be resolved in the upcoming next few years.
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There was an interesting article by Kathy Lally in a recent edition of the Washington Post, Pretending Putin Doesn't Exist. (I am not sure that it is still viewable). Anyway, the reporter commented upon the efforts of a select few in Ekaterinburg to construct elements of civil society and also to protect citizens from the corrupt local officials.
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