An Alternative Russia is Possible According to Experts

An Alternative Russia

• In a recent paper, Fyodor Krasheninnikov and Vladimir Milov - Free Russia Foundation's political analyst and Vice-President, respectively - have laid out what a post-Putin Russian state should look like.

• The authors argue that a truly democratic and federal Russian state is not only a possibility, but a necessity in order to recover the country and prevent the negative consequences associated with the decline of Putin’s dictatorship.

• According to the authors, the new Russian state should be built upon the principles of subsidiarity, parliamentary democracy, transparency, and accountability.

Reconciling Russia’s Past

• Krasheninnikov and Milov argue that Russia must bear responsibility for past and current crimes, notably the war in Ukraine. However, collective responsibility should be avoided. Officials engaged in expansionist and imperial pursuits should be held accountable and excluded in favour of representatives of the Russian people.

• The Russian population should not be seen as inherently aggressive, imperialist, or authoritarian. There are moments in Russia’s past that are worth celebrating for representing opposition to authoritarianism, such as the 1917 and 1991 demonstrations.

• A West German model of postwar reconstruction, including demilitarization, federal structuring, and changes in official state terminology, would be beneficial for Russia to emulate in normalizing its relationship with Europe.

Staging Russia’s Future

• According to the authors, regional and municipal governments must be empowered in the new Russian constitution, becoming the backbone of a new parliamentary republic.

• They note that Russia’s geography or demography does not preclude it from liberalization, demilitarization, or parliamentary democracy. Canada is similarly large, cold, and resource-dependent to Russia yet is peaceful, liberal, and federal.

• National minorities in Russia must be given a form of representation that is more effective than the current geographically constrained model. A Belgian model of ethnic-linguistic federalism would allow minorities to have cultural representation without being constrained to their designated state or diminishing the majority population.

Eradicating Corruption and Building Faith in the New Russia

• Krasheninnikov and Milov note that corruption and monopolization have had detrimental effects on Russia, both economically and socially.

• Removing the role of corrupt state figures and oligarchs from the political and economic functions of the country would open up opportunities for Russians to participate.

• The payment of reparations to Ukraine is necessary and should not be overly burdening for the Russian economy. The return to Russian soil of the overseas hidden wealth of Putin and his oligarchs will contribute greatly to the economic state of the country.

• Russian emigrants, most of whom are in opposition to Putin’s regime and its wars, must be included in a new Russia that includes a wide variety of political and social perspectives.