Anti-Corruption Protests Pressure Putin Ahead of 2018 Presidential Election

The Polish Institute of International Affairs is an analytical institution established by an act of Parliament in 1996 to carry out research and provide expertise in international affairs. PISM disseminates information on contemporary international issues and maintains contacts with academic and political centres in Poland and abroad. The Institute runs courses for public servants, maintains a library (open to the public; 165,000 books and journals), organises conferences, and publishes books, periodicals and documents on Polish foreign policy and international matters.

The funding for PISM comes from the budget. The director is appointed by the prime minister for a term of five years, following consultation with the minister of foreign affairs. The minister supervises the Institute and appoints its advisory council, which includes a representative of the President of the Republic of Poland, academics and officials.In March 2017, the most significant anti-government protests since 2012 took place in Russia, ostensibly against corruption. The biggest political winner was opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who wants to run in next year’s presidential election. The protests forced Russian President Vladimir Putin to find a new electoral strategy. In addition to social and economic issues, he and his authorities aimed to mobilise Russian voters on other important issues, such as the threat of terrorism. This meant that the Russian election campaign in 2018 wouldl be dominated by both anti-corruption and state security themes.