Development of the Russian federal system over the last fifteen years has been characterized by ongoing process of reforming towards centralization. However, centralizing reforms haven’t lead to simplification of the Center-regions relations and, on the contrary, have made them even more complicated and uncertain. Paradoxically, but in its institutional contours the existing federal system strongly resembles decentralized state of the Yeltsin’s era. Kremlin’s regional policy still lacks any clear uniform rules, relies on the individual approach in the relation with the regions (“manual management”) and, thus, faces further growing asymmetry. Instead of bilateral treaties today Center-regions relations are based on the “unspoken agreement” according to which regional elites maintain certain autonomy in exchange for loyalty and high electoral results for the ruling party. Analysis of the latest changes in the governor recruitment system and interbudgetary relations demonstrates how this new mode of relationships is institutionalized and reproduced under current conditions.
