As anyone familiar with kitchenware knows, after years of use Teflon tends to wear off. And that seems to be what has happened to Russia’s former and would-be president, Vladimir Putin. November 20, when he was booed at a Moscow stadium, may have signified the end of an era. Putin’s genuine popularity has been the cornerstone of the Russian political system – the facilitating factor – ever since late 1999. With that popularity eroding, the system will find it increasingly difficult to continue functioning the way it used to, as its potential to adapt and change remains questionable.
02.12.2011, Kadri Liik
As anyone familiar with kitchenware knows, after years of use Teflon tends to wear off. And that seems to be what has happened to Russia’s former and would-be president, Vladimir Putin. November 20, when he was booed at a Moscow stadium, may have signified the end of an era. Putin’s genuine popularity has been the cornerstone of the Russian political system – the facilitating factor – ever since late 1999. With that popularity eroding, the system will find it increasingly difficult to continue functioning the way it used to, as its potential to adapt and change remains questionable.
Download: Kadri Liik – On the Qualities of Russian Teflon (PDF)