Monograph «Federalism: Russian and Swiss Perspectives» 
(pdf)
Materials of the Conference edited by Thomas Fleiner and Rafael Khakimov (Kazan, June 22-23, 2001). Moscow, 2001. – 192 p. (in English)
CONTENT
Farid Mukhametshin. Welcome Speech
Thomas Fleiner. Introduction
From entrance word of Thomas Fleiner, Director of the Institute of Federalism in Fribourg (Swiss):
«Thus the initiative of the Swiss Embassy in Moscow to organise in Kazan a comparative seminar on federalism and to open a scientific discourse on major issues of federalism between scholars from Russia - and in particular from Tatarstan - on the one side, and Swiss scholars - including a visiting scholar from the Yugoslav Federation - was very successful. Whoever is willing to get some understanding of the federalism of its own country needs to have the necessary curiosity to know federalism of other countries. The Swiss could learn the flexibility of federalism in its asymmetric form, they could see the struggle for loyalty between the Federation and the Republics and they could grasp the financial problems of a federation and a federal unit in transition. The Russian colleagues could see the struggle for diversity of a traditional federation, they understood that federalism and democracy in Switzerland are twin-brothers and that according to the Swiss understanding of autonomy. Decentralisation can only be efficient if it is combined with decentralisation of fiscal power and decentralisation of accountability to the local democracy. Both we learned the importance of the judiciary independence and commitment to the rule of law as the main governmental branch, which in any federal state has to protect citizens from unlimited power of local, regional and central authorities».
Session 1. Subsidiarity – as One of the Principles of Federalism
- Thomas Fleiner. Switzerland: Subsidiarity and Diversity
- Alexander Gorelik. On Interrelation between Democratization and Good Governance
- Shakir Yagudin. Problems of Subsidiarity of the Russian Federalism (on the example, in the Republic of Tatarstan)
- Discussion
Session 2. Judicial System
- Rainer Schweizer. A Perspective from Switzerland: Judicial System for a Federal State
- Milena Gligich-Zolotareva. Topical Problems to Modernize the Federal Structure of Russia (Legal Aspects)
- Elbrus Kargiev. Federalism and International Interregional Cooperation
- Midkhat Kurmanov. Judicial System in Russia: a Perspective from Tatarstan
- Discussion
Session 3. Fiscal System
- Thomas Stauffer. Fiscal Federalism in Switzerland
- Sergei Valentey. Problems and Prospects to Develop the Federal Situation in Russia
- Guzel Singatullina. Inter-Budgetary Relations in the Russian Concept of Federalism
- Discussion
Session 4. Local Autonomy
- Nicolas Schmitt. The Swiss Municipal System: Heterogeneity, Complexity, Topicality
- Vyatcheslav Kronsky. Basic Characteristics of the Federal Legislation on the Local Government and Its Implementation in the Nizny Novgorod Region
- Vasiliy Loginov. Problems and Prospects of the Development of Local Government in the Republic of Tatarstan in View of the European Charter of Local Government
- Discussion
Dragoljub Popovic. Comments
Rafael Khakimov. Concluding Remarks
Appendix
Monograph «Federalizm: rossijskoe i shvejcarskoe izmerenija» (pdf)
