Federalism and Local Politics in Russia

Balance in local government reform 277It is worth considering why the debates on local government reform havetended to be polarized between those the ‘statists’ who see local governmentas part of an unbroken vertical line of authority and accountability andthose who see it as entirely disconnected from that line. The alternative, whichwe have referred to here as the ‘triangle’ option, would draw on the originalFlorentine notion of the balance of power, 52 whereby three or more parties inpotential conflict prevent any one of their number from becoming too powerful.Thus all stay in the game and none wholly dominate the game. However theparticipation in this approach would imply the recognition that complete controlover other actors is not possible, and this would run counter to the tendencyin Russian political culture to maximize rather than optimize control.However, it is not necessary for local government actively to pursue thisrole for it to be effective. Simply by virtue of being autonomous, municipalitiescan exert restraint on the growth of regional power, as I. V. Babichev,the secretary of the Congress of Municipalities argued: ‘If local autonomousself-government is absent from the federal state, the self-sufficiency of theSubjects would threaten the existence of the Federation.’ 53 This view is seenby some to be understood by all sides:There will be no appointment of mayors for political reasons. Thereneeds to be a counterweight to governors, and the Subjects (regions)know that. The talk of appointment of mayors was only to soften theblow of the appointment of governors. 54The ‘triangle’ under strainThe problem of the ‘triangle’ or ‘balance of power view of federal–regional–local relations is that it comes under pressure in the run-up to federal elections,when the loyalty and support of regional heads comes at a premium.As one commentator put it, ‘Now that the Kremlin is “perfecting” local selfgovernmentby means of turning it into a system of opposition to thegubernatorial power … can the Kremlin rely on governors’ support at theparliamentary or presidential election?’ 55What premium could the Centre offer to regional heads in the approach tonational elections? The choice appeared to have been between extra or preferentialresources (which cannot by definition be granted to every region) orpolitical support against sub-regional rivals (which is potentially available toall regions).One interviewee saw the electoral cycle as influencing the ebb and flow ofthe centre’s support for local government, at the cost of destabilization of thelocal governmental system:Local self government has ended up as an instrument of political struggle –between elections – each president starts by developing local-self-government,then makes peace with governors. This is wrong – it should be aboutpeople’s needs not politics. 56