Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

Editor's Note: This is the 1st part of a 3-part series; Part 2 examines Russia's demographics, energy sector and Putin's political changes; and Part 3 explores whether the political systems Putin has built will survive him. Become a full subscriber to access the other 2 parts and much more.

Russia After Putin: Inherent Leadership Struggles Russia has undergone a series of fundamental changes over the past year, with more changes on the horizon. Russia's economic model based on energy is being tested, the country's social and demographic make-up is shifting, and its political elites are aging. All this has led the Kremlin to begin asking how the country should be led once its unifying leader, Vladimir Putin, is gone. Already, a restructuring of the political elite is taking place, and hints of succession plans have emerged. Historically, Russia has been plagued by the dilemma of trying to create a succession plan following a strong and autocratic leader. The question now is whether Putin can set a system in place for his own passing out of the Russian leadership (whenever the time may be) without destabilizing the system as a whole. Read more »