--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In 2008, Putin's message was, 'We aren't…" description: "\"In 2008, Putin's message was, 'We aren't like a Central Asian republic, we aren't going to build a personalistic regime, we will have institutions.' Th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c26/ivan-krastev-20501_abolish_in-2008-putin-s-message-was-we-aren-t-li_3050522.jpg" --- # In 2008, Putin's message was, 'We aren't like a Central… ![“In 2008, Putin's message was, 'We aren't like a Central Asian republic, we aren't going to build a personalistic regime, we will have institutions.' This is all abolished now. The very idea of a governing party and party career, as you have in China, that didn't work.” quote by Ivan Krastev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c26/ivan-krastev-20501_abolish_in-2008-putin-s-message-was-we-aren-t-li_3050522.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c26/ivan-krastev-20501_abolish_in-2008-putin-s-message-was-we-aren-t-li_3050522.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c26/ivan-krastev-20501_abolish_in-2008-putin-s-message-was-we-aren-t-li_3050522.jpg) > “In 2008, Putin's message was, 'We aren't like a Central Asian republic, we aren't going to build a personalistic regime, we will have institutions.' This is all abolished now. The very idea of a governing party and party career, as you have in China, that didn't work.” [Ivan Krastev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-krastev/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote critiques the broken promise of institutional governance in Russia, noting that promised institutions have been dismantled, unlike in China where a ruling party persists **In simple terms:** Russia promised institutions but removed them, unlike China’s stable party system Key Takeaway Recognize the gap between political rhetoric and reality Themes politics governance institutional decay comparative politics Mood skeptical critical analytical Type observation analysis commentary When to use this quote - policy analysis - academic research - public discourse - media commentary Key Concepts authoritarianism institutionalism political promises Questions to Reflect On - What factors enabled Russia to abandon its institutional promises? - How does China’s party structure affect its stability? A Different Perspective The claim overlooks the complexity of Russian political culture and external pressures ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Asian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asian/) [Career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career/) [China](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/china/) [Governing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/governing/) [Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea/) [Institutions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/institutions/) [Message](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/message/) [Party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/party/) [Regime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regime/) [Republic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republic/) [Russia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/russia/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [True, Putin's Russia does not dream of joining the E.U., but Russia's stability depends on preserving the European nature of its regime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-krastev/true-putin-s-russia-does-not-dream-of-joining-the-e-u-but-russia-s/) [Ivan Krastev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-krastev/) > [As much as the South African racist regime is prepared to fight to the last man, so are we determined to fight to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winnie-madikizela-mandela/as-much-as-the-south-african-racist-regime-is-prepared-to-fight-to/) [Winnie Madikizela-Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winnie-madikizela-mandela/) > [Therefore, once U.S. forces leave, it is almost inevitable that an anti-Western, anti-U.S. regime will arise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-odom/therefore-once-u-s-forces-leave-it-is-almost-inevitable-that-an-anti/) [William Odom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-odom/) > [When General Musharraf took over, the Bar Association was among the first of some of the institutions that said they would not accept the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asma-jahangir/when-general-musharraf-took-over-the-bar-association-was-among-the/) [Asma Jahangir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asma-jahangir/) > [You need to understand, if you take out a government, take out a regime, guess who becomes the government and regime and is responsible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/you-need-to-understand-if-you-take-out-a-government-take-out-a-regime/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Let's face reality. 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We haven't had a great deal of success with that in years. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mullen/i-worry-a-little-bit-about-quote-regime-change-we-haven-t-had-a-great/) [Michael Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mullen/) > [Dentists, doctors, surveyors from Latvia wanted to come to England, do anything to get away from the Soviet regime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-martin/dentists-doctors-surveyors-from-latvia-wanted-to-come-to-england-do/) [Guy Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-martin/) > [My beauty regime is very simple. I just take my make-up off before bed. And oh, I always put moisturiser on. But that's about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keeley-hawes/my-beauty-regime-is-very-simple-i-just-take-my-make-up-off-before-bed/) [Keeley Hawes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keeley-hawes/) > [We very clearly do not want an authoritarian regime... setting standards in the world marketplace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ratcliffe/we-very-clearly-do-not-want-an-authoritarian-regime-setting-standards/) [John Ratcliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ratcliffe/) > [Clearly if the United States' relationship with Cuba changed, which would require a regime change inside Cuba, if Cuba moved towards a more democratic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/clearly-if-the-united-states-relationship-with-cuba-changed-which/) [Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/) > [There needs to be some regime that is overseeing access to broadband to make sure we have openess; otherwise, there is a risk it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/there-needs-to-be-some-regime-that-is-overseeing-access-to-broadband/) [Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) > [It's with them that we have constituted a liberation front and brought our logistic support to armies to help their countries come out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-ben-bella/it-s-with-them-that-we-have-constituted-a-liberation-front-and/) [Ahmed Ben Bella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-ben-bella/) ## More by Ivan Krastev > [America gave the world the notion of the melting pot - an alchemical cooking device wherein diverse ethnic and religious groups voluntarily mix together,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-krastev/america-gave-the-world-the-notion-of-the-melting-pot-an-alchemical/) [Ivan Krastev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-krastev/) > [Transparency is not about restoring trust in institutions. Transparency is the politics of managing mistrust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-krastev/transparency-is-not-about-restoring-trust-in-institutions/) [Ivan Krastev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-krastev/) > [ \[It's\] difficult to engage people in politics when they believe that what really matters is where they personally stand. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-krastev/it-s-difficult-to-engage-people-in-politics-when-they-believe-that/) [Ivan Krastev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-krastev/) > [For the European Union, Russia is as important politically and economically as China is to the U.S.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-krastev/for-the-european-union-russia-is-as-important-politically-and/) [Ivan Krastev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-krastev/) > [The post-Cold War order in Europe is finished, with Vladimir Putin its executioner. Russia's invasion of Georgia only marked its passing. Russia has emerged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-krastev/the-post-cold-war-order-in-europe-is-finished-with-vladimir-putin-its/) [Ivan Krastev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-krastev/) > [The United States and Russia probably do not have common aims and dreams, but they have common worries: Both Washington and Moscow are concerned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-krastev/the-united-states-and-russia-probably-do-not-have-common-aims-and/) [Ivan Krastev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-krastev/) > [It is people's willingness to take personal risks and confront the powerful by daring to speak the truth, not the truth itself, that ultimately…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-krastev/it-is-people-s-willingness-to-take-personal-risks-and-confront-the/) [Ivan Krastev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-krastev/) > [Living in truth cannot be reduced to having access to full information.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-krastev/living-in-truth-cannot-be-reduced-to-having-access-to-full-information/) [Ivan Krastev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-krastev/) > [True, Putin's Russia does not dream of joining the E.U., but Russia's stability depends on preserving the European nature of its regime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-krastev/true-putin-s-russia-does-not-dream-of-joining-the-e-u-but-russia-s/) [Ivan Krastev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-krastev/) > [The Church of TED is very optimistic. Bulgarians are some of the most pessimistic in the world. There are the Happy, the Unhappy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-krastev/the-church-of-ted-is-very-optimistic-bulgarians-are-some-of-the-most/) [Ivan Krastev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-krastev/) > [For the Kremlin, it is more feasible to preserve its great-power status in cooperation with the United States than in confrontation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-krastev/for-the-kremlin-it-is-more-feasible-to-preserve-its-great-power/) [Ivan Krastev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-krastev/) > [Remember, until the 1970s, the spread of democracy has always been accompanied by the decline of inequality. The more democratic our societies have been,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-krastev/remember-until-the-1970s-the-spread-of-democracy-has-always-been/) [Ivan Krastev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-krastev/) > [As a rule, governments monitor people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-krastev/as-a-rule-governments-monitor-people/) [Ivan Krastev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-krastev/) > [Russians clearly perceive America's global influence as being in irreversible decline and American society shattered by major political, economic and ideological crises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-krastev/russians-clearly-perceive-america-s-global-influence-as-being-in/) [Ivan Krastev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-krastev/) > [Democracy has always been in crisis: democracy is all about practicing the art of bearable dissatisfaction. In democratic societies, people often complain about their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-krastev/democracy-has-always-been-in-crisis-democracy-is-all-about-practicing/) [Ivan Krastev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-krastev/) [Explore all 30 Ivan Krastev quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-krastev/) ## More Abolish quotes > [To be creative means to connect. It's to abolish the gap between the body, the mind and the soul, between science and art, between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/to-be-creative-means-to-connect-it-s-to-abolish-the-gap-between-the/) [Nawal El Saadawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawal-el-saadawi/) > [I will not be a Democrat or a Republican. They are the problem, not the solution. 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