The Influence of Institutional Decision Making Mechanism in Russia on the Relations with the European Union

This article examines the influence of internal factors (such as decision-making processes, political culture, and the connection between government and society) on Russia's foreign policy toward the European Union in the context of neoclassical realism. Excessive personalization and a closed decision-making structure do not encourage effective reactions to emerging challenges and affect the possibility of cooperation in the post-Soviet space. Institutional mechanisms and their impact on a country's foreign policy are extremely important in the theory of neoclassical realism. This article also analyses EU - Russia relations over major periods and the role of internal factors in Russian policy. Despite an orientation toward long-term cooperation between the EU and Russia, a contradiction remains between Russia's over-centralized decision- making structure and the EU's decentralized system. In addition, political leaders and elites play less of a role in the EU, where there is a real separation of powers and competencies. These factors hamper EU - Russia cooperation because Russia prefers to establish bilateral relations with each state. As a result of all these factors, long-term relations may be at risk. However, the decentralization of power, increased efficiency of political institutions and the active participation of civil society will improve the level of mutual trust and overcome the current issues in EU - Russia relations.