In the long term, Russia will inevitably be a strong state economically and will rank first in Europe and fifth or sixth in the world in terms of GDP. But the situation is different from the political, social or civilizational points of view: unless Russia makes a final choice in favor of globalization and Europeanization, anything can happen to this country.
Russia’s economic science has proven to be unprepared for market reform. The conservatism of the domestic economic science has clearly manifested itself by the reluctance by many directors of academic institutions to accept even non-radical models of market reform. Those academicians, who hold to the old beliefs and oppose restructuring and innovations, have continuously demonstrated their archaic clan psychology and have snubbed the president’s policy.
In the long term, Russia will inevitably be a strong state economically and will rank first in Europe and fifth or sixth in the world in terms of GDP. But the situation is different from the political, social or civilizational points of view: unless Russia makes a final choice in favor of globalization and Europeanization, anything can happen to this country.
Russia’s economic science has proven to be unprepared for market reform. The conservatism of the domestic economic science has clearly manifested itself by the reluctance by many directors of academic institutions to accept even non-radical models of market reform. Those academicians, who hold to the old beliefs and oppose restructuring and innovations, have continuously demonstrated their archaic clan psychology and have snubbed the president’s policy.
When the Baltic countries entered NATO and the European Union a couple of years ago, many thought it was the end of the centuries-old "red line." Euro-Atlantic organizations had crossed into the former Russian and Soviet empires.
In September 2004, the Russian city of Novgorod hosted an international conference entitled Russia at the Turn of the Century: Hopes and Reality. Its organizers were the RIA Novosti news agency, the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, Russia in Global Affairs, and The Moscow Times.