Economists urge radical modernization in Russia.

Text of report by the website of heavyweight Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta on 1 March

[Editorial: "Drafters of Strategy 2020 become rebels. Academic economists threaten foundations of Russian model of governance"]

The work organized by the government on the new Strategy 2020 could bring the authorities some unpleasant surprises. At the first meeting with Vladimir Putin, which took place in mid-February, the "court economists" proposed that he concentrate on reducing the budget deficit by cutting social expenditure. But 10 days later the experts embarked on criticism of the fundamentals of the country's existing economic and political model. In order to …