Arrangement

This year's conference is dedicated to discussing the possible results and broader significance of the parliamentary elections in December and the presidential elections in March 2012. Among the questions that will be discussed in the conference are: How do the opposition parties approach the elections? Which role do the parliamentary elections play in current Russian politics? How does the election result and Duma composition influence Russian policies?

Registration and coffee from 09.00.

Programme (09.30 – 15.00)

• Welcome

Session 1: Russia’s political parties: United Russia, loyal and real opposition (09.30 - 11.15)

Panel:

• Sean Roberts, Visiting Fellow, Aleksanteri Institute

• Geir Flikke, Senior Researcher, NUPI

• David White, Senior Researcher and Lecturer, CREES, Birmingham

Chair: Indra Øverland, NUPI

Coffee (11.15 -11.30)

Session 2: The elections and election campaign (11.30 - 12.45)

Panel:

• Derek Hutcheson, Lecturer & Head of  European Studies, University College Dublin

• Regina Smyth, Associate Professor, Indiana University
• Pavel Baev, Senior Researcher, PRIO

  Chair: Julie Wilhelmsen, NUPI

Lunch  (12.45 – 13.30)

Session 3: Looking ahead: the aftermath of the Duma elections and the March 2012 presidential election (13.30 - 15.00)

Panel:

• John Willerton, Associate Professor, University of Arizona

• Andrey Ryabov, Carnegie Moscow Center

• Paul Chaisty, Lecturer in Russian Government, Oxford University

        Chair: Arkady Moshes, Finnish Institute of International Affairs