While leaders of EU countries were holding a summit last Friday, Business Monitor International (BMI)’s own Politburo Presidium was in session, discussing a different European topic: Russia. Over the weekend, tens of thousands of people demonstrated in Moscow, St Petersburg, and other cities against the outcome of the previous weekend’s parliamentary elections, in which the… [Read more]

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s confirmation over the weekend that he plans to return to the presidency in March 2012 effectively positions him to rule Russia until 2024 by means of two consecutive six-year terms. This, of course, depends on his health holding out – at 58, he is already at the average Russian male’s… [Read more]

Today, August 19, marks 20 years since the beginning of the end of the Soviet Union. Although it could be argued that the USSR was already collapsing well before August 19, 1991, it’s also fair to say that the coup attempt by hardliners that took place on that day to preserve the Union ultimately hastened… [Read more]

There’s been renewed speculation about the 2012 Russian presidential election of late, with both incumbent Dmitri Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin both hinting that they could run. If both do so, then there could be a genuinely competitive race for the first time since 1996. The Medvedev-Putin double-act was always a bit awkward. Putin… [Read more]

On the back of the unexpectedly hawkish ‘State of the Nation’ address from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on October 5, Moscow has been rife with rumours. There has been wildly divergent speculation on the significance of the political reform proposals Medvedev spoke of, especially a plan to extend the presidential term from four to six… [Read more]