Putinism

The slow rise of a radical right regime in Russia

This book aims to provide important new insights into the essence of ‘Putinism’, the political system established in Russia by Vladimir Putin over the past decade. Van Herpen compares in detail the many and often surprising parallels that exist between Putin’s regime and that of Weimar Germany and Mussolini’s Italy, indicating the presence of strong Fascist elements in contemporary Russia.

However, this is tempered by other elements that show a resemblance with the Bonapartism from Napoleon III’s France and the post-modern populism of Silvio Berlusconi, creating a hybrid system which can be labelled ‘Fascism-lite’. Although ‘Putinism’ has a softer face than Mussolinian Fascism, it still contains a hard core of ultra-nationalism, militarism, and neo-imperialism.

The author not only looks at Putin’s regime in retrospect but also offers an insight into the future of the Russian political system as Russia’s strong man begins his third term in office.