Igor Eidman
| Sistema Putina | The Putin System Socio-political work of non-fiction. Manuscript 2016. 280 pages |
| Foreign rights: | Germany/ Heyne (Ludwig), Poland/ Harde, Romania/ Editura Prestige |
Preface by Garri Kasparov
New preface and epilogue by I. Eidman (available in English) reflecting Russian aggression March 2022
This book is an SOS from a Russian expert. He has lived through the end of democracy in his own country and he sees the need to warn readers out- side Russia of the comparable risks facing their own countries. Is the whole world about to experience a long period of instability and social and political regression? Is Europe facing the threat of a major war?
From the start Eidman presents the regime in Russia as the pioneer and leader of a new far-right conservative movement. He lists Putin together with politicians such as Trump, Erdogan, Marine le Pen, Urban, Hofer, Frauke Petry, and others. The aggressive regime Putin has created in the east of Europe is contriving to reestablish its power base within the former Soviet sphere of influence. The author describes how Putin tries to influence the public opinion in western countries in order to destabilise the political status quo, how he supports far-right organisations throughout the world and how Moscow has become the command centre for a neo-conservative revolution.
Eidman analyses how Putin came to power and how, using various pretences, he has turned Russia into an autocratic regime. Authoritarian organisations in western coun- tries are now attempting a similar procedure. Eidman‘s book must be seen, not only as shock-therapy for Russophiles in particular, but also as a warning for all, thereby enabling a necessary and appropriate assessment of the situation and the accompanying danger. The book provides detailed information of the source of the threat, its nature and how it could be countered. It is the author‘s opinion that tolerating Putin is equivalent to accepting the neo-conservative revolution, by which the liberal West is to be reduced to a model of Putin‘s design.
The book is easily accessible and reads like an angry political pamphlet intending to shake up a wide base of readers outside Russia. Thanks to his experience in working in elevated Russian political circles Eidman has important insider information, which he shares with the readers of this book.
