Rivalry at the top causes unease

Charles Clover notes the change in atmosphere in the run-up to the Russian Presidential Election in 2012, an election whose outcome is unclear. Article forms the lead and overview article in the FT: Special Report on Russia 2011.

Other articles in the Special Report (accessible via the hyperlink below):

Foreign policy: Success in ‘near abroad’ is main achievement. Modernising the economy is the new focus, says Neil Buckley

China-Russia relations: Siberia waits for a thaw in border policies. A sparsely populated region needs its neighbour, says Rachel Morarjee

Financial reform: Rise in credibility is overdue. Plans to transform Moscow into an international financial centre look like little more than a pipe dream to many foreign investors, writes Catherine Belton

Horticulture: Sugar trader comes up roses in an unfriendly climate. Isabel Gorst describes how an unlikely commercial idea has flourished

Politics: Shift in focus puts former spies out in the cold
The days of the ‘strong guys’ holding the reins of power may be numbered, writes Charles Clover

Banking: State-backed groups distort a slowly recovering sector. Private and foreign groups find it hard to compete, says Catherine Belton

Economy: Policymakers start to grapple with a lack of options. Voters are being asked to look beyond the current high oil prices, says Neil Buckley

Oil and gas: Foreign investors fund ventures into risky terrain. Western companies still want stakes, despite earlier setbacks, says Isabel Gorst

Wealth management: Offshore havens losing allure for a rising tide of billionaires. The prospect of greater stability is changing long ingrained habits, reports Rachel Morarjee