The Putin Predicament : Problems of Legitimacy and Succession in Russia / / Bo Petersson, J. Paul Goode, Andreas Umland

• Record Nr.: UNINA9910974778903321
• Autore: Petersson Bo
• Pubbl/distr/stampa: Hannover, : ibidem, 2021
• ISBN: 3-8382-7050-9
• Edizione: [1st ed.]
• Descrizione fisica: 1 online resource (231 pages)
• Collana: Soviet and Post-Soviet Politics and Society ; 237
• Disciplina: 947.086
• Soggetti: Political Myth; Putin; Russia
• Lingua di pubblicazione: Inglese
• Formato: Materiale a stampa
• Livello bibliografico: Monografia
• Nota di bibliografia: Includes bibliographical references and index.
• Nota di contenuto: Intro -- Foreword -- Preface and Acknowledgments -- I Introduction -- The ratings problem -- Main material -- Delimitations -- Transliteration of Russian words and names -- II Theoretical Points of Orientation -- Political succession -- Legitimacy -- Legitimacy in non-democratic states -- Charisma and routinization -- Legitimacy and political myth -- III Legitimizing Putin -- The 2011-2012 legitimation crisis -- Re-legitimization: Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea -- Strength and stability -- The great power myth -- Getting out of troubles: the smuta myth -- D ynamic interplay: the phoenix myth -- The bulwark and its champion -- The man of action -- Great communicator, benevolent ruler -- Putin the populist -- Putin the common Russian -- IV Legitimacy through Othering -- Othering and Russia -- Relations with the United States -- Dealing with Trump -- Enter Joe Biden -- No more the underdog -- Paradigm shift and saber-rattling -- V Challenges from Within -- Electoral authoritarianism in Russia -- The presidential elections of 2018 -- The Navalny challenge -- Medvedev's downfall -- Navalny vs. Putin -- The fall guy function -- Stability and order -- The good tsar -- VI Challenge from Without -- The corona crisis: devolving power -- Entering center stage-and exiting again -- The Sputnik V vaccine -- Faring better than the West? -- Skewing the statistics -- The pandemic and the image -- VII The Succession Issue -- Looking to the East? -- Guarantor of the ; constitution? -- Successions in the Russian post-Soviet past -- Post-Soviet precedents -- Postponing the succession: the constitutional reform -- VIII Conclusion -- References -- Index.
• Sommario/riassunto: Using the Russian president’s major public addresses as the main source, Bo Petersson analyzes the legitimization strategies employed during Vladimir Putin’s third and fourth terms in office. The argument is that these strategies have rested on Putin’s highly personalized blend of strongman-image projection and presentation as the embodiment of Russia’s great power myth. Putin appears as the only credible guarantor against renewed weakness, political chaos, and interference from abroad—in particular from the US. After a first deep crisis of legitimacy manifested itself by the massive protests in 2011–2012, the annexation of Crimea led to a lengthy boost in Putin’s popularity figures. The book discusses how the Crimea effect is, by 2021, trailing off and Putin’s charismatic authority is increasingly questioned by opposition from Alexei Navalny, the effects of unpopular reforms, and poor handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, Russia is bound to head for a succession crisis as the legitimacy of the political system continues to be built on Putin’s projected personal characteristics and—now apparently waning—charisma, and since no potential heir apparent has been allowed on center stage. The constitutional reform of summer 2020 made it possible in theory for Putin to continue as president until 2036. Yet, this change did not address the Russian political system’s fundamental future leadership dilemma.