ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the emergence of 'managed democracy' in post communist Russia and argues that, whilst this is not an entirely unproblematic concept, it provides a useful way of conceptualising the state of the Russian political system. It examines to what extent this explains Yabloko's decline and what effect it has had on the public perception of the party. Leading Yabloko members saw Vladimir Putin as being far more responsive to their ideas than Yeltsin had been and were proud to point out the policy areas in which Yabloko had influenced the government. At Yabloko's congress in September 2003, Yavlinskii, although critical of the administration's human rights record, once again praised Putin's foreign and economic policies. Yabloko’s relationship with power has consistently been based on the premise of a preparedness to work with the regime on areas of common interests but to remain in opposition on issues with which it is unable to agree.
