Prospects for Russia and Putin 4.0

Resisting uncertainty, Russian voters re-elected Vladimir Putin for a fourth term as president. He will take the oath of office on May 7, but challenges could be in store for the regime as the president mulls a potential successor. “Over the past two decades, Russia has been transformed into a hybrid system that mixes an authoritarian structure with a free-market economy and great-power narrative,” writes Michal Romanowski with the German Marshall Fund of the United States in Warsaw. He explains that corruption will continue, competing factions could emerge and Putin will struggle to give up power in 2024. Economic stagnation is likely as energy continues to dominate the economy, the West remains united in imposing sanctions and China shows little interest in coming to Russia’s economic rescue. The country’s economic prospects are bleak, and Putin will likely focus on preserving the status quo in a narrow system that benefits him and a small group of supporters. – YaleGlobal