Mellan Nordpolen och Moskva: Murmansk Oblast och Relationen till Centralmakten (Between the North Pole and Moscow: Murmansk Oblast and the Relation to the Federal Centre).

摘要

The aim of this report is on the one hand to study the characteristic features of the regional development in the Murmansk Oblast, on the other hand to analyze the region's relation to the central power of the Russian Federation. The focus is on the political and economical aspects of the relation, although other characteristics of the region, such as the environmental problems and the Northern Fleet, are also discussed. The report investigates the Power-sharing agreement Murmansk Oblast signed with the Federal Centre in 1997, and finds that the region has failed, since it was forced to finance activity that has been decided by the Centre. The leadership of the region is eager to develop good contacts with the rulers in Moscow. An investigation of the fiscal relation give the results that Murmansk Oblast receives only small amounts of federal transfers, but on the other hand is allowed to keep substantial parts of their own tax revenues. The regional economy is heavily dependent on two main sectors, on the one hand mining and metallurgic industry, on the other hand fishing and fishing industry. The report shows that the regional identity is not very well developed in the region. A substantial net out-migration in recent years is the main evidence. The main conclusion is that the region's strategic importance to the Federal centre, and to some extent the richness in natural resources, are the main reasons why the Federal centre is not interested in reducing its control over the region.