Federalism is formally established in the Constitution of Russia, with references to it included in the

preamble A preamble () is an introductory and expressionary statement in a document that explains the document's purpose and underlying philosophy. When applied to the opening paragraphs of a statute, it may recite historical facts pertinent to the su ...

and throughout the document. In practice, Russia functions as a centralized

unitary state A unitary state is a (Sovereign state, sovereign) State (polity), state governed as a single entity in which the central government is the supreme authority. The central government may create or abolish administrative divisions (sub-national or ...

under

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...

, suppressing movements for proper federalism.

History

On 31 March 1992, the

Treaty of Federation The Treaty of Federation () was a treaty signed on 31 March 1992 in Moscow between the Russian government and 86 of 89 federal subjects of Russia. The Treaty of Federation refers to three documents of the same content, signed by representatives ...

between the central Russian government and the federal subjects was signed. Along with establishing a nominally federal structure, it involved an asymmetrically federal system in which so-called "sovereign republics" would be more autonomous than other federal subjects. The republics declared their own sovereignties, but remained a part of the Russian Federation, and the treaty was "sharply skewed toward centralism". Additionally, the 1993 Constitution of Russia abolished these sovereignties altogether, and after changes in the government, leaders of federal subjects began being appointed by Moscow. In the 1990s, President Yeltsin's administration relied on ad hoc, unconstitutional agreements with regional elites, leading to a fragmented legal framework that undermined federal law coherence.

Characteristics of Russian federalism

While Russia is nominally a

federation A federation (also called a federal state) is an entity characterized by a political union, union of partially federated state, self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a #Federal governments, federal government (federalism) ...

, in practice it has functioned as a centralized unitary state, especially under the authoritarian regime of Vladimir Putin. Movements in Russia to establish real federalism or regional autonomy are suppressed by authorities, who label proponents of federalism as "dangerous" separatists. Russian federalism is thus characterized as unstable, marked by imperial remnants rather than democratic pluralism. The federal structure is heavily influenced by the Soviet era, which established undemocratic ethno-territorial pseudo-federalism under centralized control, complicating the subsequent development of a cohesive

nation state A nation state, or nation-state, is a political entity in which the State (polity), state (a centralized political organization ruling over a population within a territory) and the nation (a community based on a common identity) are (broadly ...

. As genuine federalism is argued to be impossible without

democracy Democracy (from , ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which political power is vested in the people or the population of a state. Under a minimalist definition of democracy, rulers are elected through competitiv ...

; Russia's authoritarian tendencies result in a system that is federal in name but unitary and imperial in practice. The governance model reflects elite

patronage Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, art patronage refers to the support that princes, popes, and other wealthy and influential people ...

and informal

negotiation Negotiation is a dialogue between two or more parties to resolve points of difference, gain an advantage for an individual or Collective bargaining, collective, or craft outcomes to satisfy various interests. The parties aspire to agree on m ...

s, resembling imperial rule rather than a true federalist framework. Because of this, Russian federalism is mostly a bureaucratic term that obscures a hierarchical reality, with vestigial institutions and intentional asymmetries, leading to a distinctly centralizing trajectory.

References

Bibliography

* * * * {{Europe topic, Federalism in

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...