Muddling Through the Shadow of the Past(s) Post–Communist Russia’s Search for a New Regime Ideology

For many scholars, the current Russian regime is characterized by pragmatism aimed at, first and foremost, the maintenance of political power. But as the country’s international status rises and domestic problems persist, the regime is clearly interested in defining a new regime ideology beyond nationalism that can justify regime rule and guide longterm developmental strategy. This article seeks to examine the major forces shaping the current Russian regime’s search for a new ideology. It explores the reasons why this process has been so difficult and full of ambiguities, looking at both key historical and institutional factors that constrain the regime’s ideological repertoire and at vital strategic choices made by regime leaders and political elites. It argues that the current Russian regime’s inability to form a clear new ideology largely stems from two major sources: the fundamental incoherence of the regime’s ideological repertoire and the relative weakness of Russian political elite’s commitment. Consequently, the regime has had to “muddle through” a rather inconsistent assortment of selected elements from the past(s), only to arrive at vague concepts devoid of any concrete socioeconomic programs—such as “sovereign democracy”—to define itself. This kind of fundamental ambiguity could have far-reaching implications, both domestically and internationally.