Russia’s path towards democracy was an
a priori difficult task. The country’s undemocratic
inheritance played a major role in influencing the growth of civil society and shaping
the country’s political culture. Those pre-existing factors led to the revolution from above, which constitutes the most determinant one. The continuity of the political elites impeded a genuine participation the citizenry and inhibited a negotiated transition, which would enable broader consensus amongst the country’s political powers.
This process had a domino effect which led to the power struggle between the president and the legislative. During this unsettled period the constitution, the economic reforms as well as the federal system were adopted. In a highly polarised political scene,the imposition of the rules by the victor seemed the only possible way. All the above mentioned factors led to a super presidential constitution, a highly centralised state in federal clothing and an economy which failed to distribute wealth in a fair and just manner. Today
Russia’s hope for democracy lies within the growing middle class of young and educated people in the country’s major
cities. Whether they manage to overcome the obstacles of Putin’s regime is yet to be seen.