Oleksiy Bondarenko1; 1 University of Birmingham, UK
Discussion
How do autocrats recruit subnational officials? How are these recruitment patterns affected by endogenous and exogenous shocks? Centre-region relations in Russia have experienced several periods of transformation, influenced by a complex interplay between formal and informal institutions and practices. But the appointment of governors has played a central role in the consolidation of the authoritarian system of federal governance over the last 20 years. Exploiting data on governors appointments between 2012 and 2024, the article analyses changes and continuities in the patterns of recruitment of subnational officials. More specifically, it will look at two major inflection points: the COVID-19 crisis and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The article argues that flexibility in centre-region relations and adaptation of recruitment patterns within the framework of authoritarian governance remain central elements of the regime’s stability in a moment of multiple crises.
