Europe's Futures Annual Symposium 2024: Kadri Liik

Europe's Futures Annual Symposium 2024
Cres, Croatia
Thursday, 30 May 2024
Panel: Democratization in Russia: What Does the Perestroika Experience Tell Us About Post-Putin Future?
Panelists: Grigorij Mesežnikov, Dimitar Bechev
Moderator and panelist: Thomas de Waal

For many long-time observers of Russia, the country has changed beyond recognition. The façade of democracy has been dropped, the cynicism and impunity of the powers that be has ballooned, while society’s ability and willingness to resist seems minimal. Russia has now returned to habits that, during the perestroika era and 1990s, it was determined to leave behind.
Why is that? Was it inevitable? What was it that facilitated Russia’s democratization and liberalization in the perestroika era, and what has happened to these forces? Can democracy make a come-back when Vladimir Putin loses power? What– if anything–does Russia’s perestroika-era experience tell us about its potential post-Putin future?

Europe’s Futures is a partnership initiative of the IWM and ERSTE Foundation. In a rapidly changing global environment it aims to understand and address the challenges confronting Europe and the European Union.

At the Europe's Futures Annual Symposium 2024, the sixth cohort of Europe’s Futures Fellows presented the conclusions of their research in the academic year 2023/24. The findings were discussed with the Europe’s Futures Alumni Network and researchers from the University of Rijeka Center for Advanced Studies Southeast Europe.

In cooperation with University of Rijeka Center for Advanced Studies Southeast Europe (UNIRI CAS SEE).