Corruption in Russia

Corruption in Russia

Author(s): Robert Orttung
Editor(s): Stephen Aris, Matthias Neumann, Robert Orttung, Jeronim Perovic, Heiko Pleines, Hans-Henning Schröder, Aglaya Snetkov
Series: Russian Analytical Digest (RAD)
Issue: 144
Pages: 2-4
Publisher(s): Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zurich; Research Centre for East European Studies, University of Bremen; Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies, George Washington University
Publication Year: 2014

The fall of Viktor Yanukovych from the presidency of Ukraine exposed the extensive corruption of his rule and suggested that Russia might face a similar scenario in the future. The Putin administration has created conditions that allow corruption to flourish by cracking down on civil society, the media and the courts. Anti-corruption efforts have had little impact, leading people to assume that bribes are often the best way to deal with government bureaucrats, even if they do not like doing so.