Anders Åslund
Encyclopedia
Anders Åslund (born 1952) is a Swedish
economist
with a particular interest in economic transition from centrally planned to market economies
. Åslund served as an economic adviser to the governments of Russia and Ukraine and from 2003 was director of the Russian and Eurasian Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
. Åslund was an advocate of and advisor in the controversial "shock therapy
" measures that were applied to the Russian economy following the end of communism.
He has been a senior fellow at the Washington
-based Peterson Institute since 2006.
He is also the co-chair of the Kyiv School of Economics
Board of Trustees.
.
for the Russian economy in its transition to a market economy. The approach has had many critics, although Åslund has argued at times that the Russian government stayed away from practical implementation.
, if elected president, would be overthrown by military coup d'etat
. He has also alleged, in the Moscow Times
that Vladimir Putin
had gathered enormous wealth, and was as corrupt as those around him
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
economist
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
with a particular interest in economic transition from centrally planned to market economies
Market economy
A market economy is an economy in which the prices of goods and services are determined in a free price system. This is often contrasted with a state-directed or planned economy. Market economies can range from hypothetically pure laissez-faire variants to an assortment of real-world mixed...
. Åslund served as an economic adviser to the governments of Russia and Ukraine and from 2003 was director of the Russian and Eurasian Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is a foreign-policy think tank based in Washington, D.C. The organization describes itself as being dedicated to advancing cooperation between nations and promoting active international engagement by the United States...
. Åslund was an advocate of and advisor in the controversial "shock therapy
Shock therapy (economics)
In economics, shock therapy refers to the sudden release of price and currency controls, withdrawal of state subsidies, and immediate trade liberalization within a country, usually also including large scale privatization of previously public owned assets....
" measures that were applied to the Russian economy following the end of communism.
He has been a senior fellow at the Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
-based Peterson Institute since 2006.
He is also the co-chair of the Kyiv School of Economics
Kyiv School of Economics
The Kyiv School of Economics is a university in Ukraine focused on economics. The university, founded by the Economics Education and Research Consortium and the Victor Pinchuk Foundation, offers master's programs in Financial Economics, Economic Policy and Economics of Firms and Markets...
Board of Trustees.
Åslund in Sweden
Åslund's political position inclines toward market liberalism and decreased taxation and reduction of social welfare programs and systems, and is therefore regarded as a somewhat controversial economist in Sweden. His main claims regarding the Swedish welfare system are that it in itself generates bureaucracy that causes less redistribution of resources to the citizens most in need of resources, and that the bureaucracy creates an economical crisis by requiring an increased amount of resources in itself. Åslund has suggested that Sweden needs a Russian-style shock therapyShock therapy (economics)
In economics, shock therapy refers to the sudden release of price and currency controls, withdrawal of state subsidies, and immediate trade liberalization within a country, usually also including large scale privatization of previously public owned assets....
.
Involvement in Russian economic reform
Åslund was an advocate of shock therapyShock therapy (economics)
In economics, shock therapy refers to the sudden release of price and currency controls, withdrawal of state subsidies, and immediate trade liberalization within a country, usually also including large scale privatization of previously public owned assets....
for the Russian economy in its transition to a market economy. The approach has had many critics, although Åslund has argued at times that the Russian government stayed away from practical implementation.
Statements on Russia
Åslund has made several controversial statements regarding Russian politics. He has favorably compared the Yeltsin-era oligarchs with the robber barons of the 19th century United States as engines of capitalist development. He also predicted that Dmitry MedvedevDmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev is the third President of the Russian Federation.Born to a family of academics, Medvedev graduated from the Law Department of Leningrad State University in 1987. He defended his dissertation in 1990 and worked as a docent at his alma mater, now renamed to Saint...
, if elected president, would be overthrown by military coup d'etat
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
. He has also alleged, in the Moscow Times
The Moscow Times
The Moscow Times is an English-language daily newspaper published in Moscow, Russia since 1992. The circulation in 2008 stood at 35,000 copies and the newspaper is typically given out for free at places English-language "expats" attend, including hotels, cafés and restaurants, as well as by...
that Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
had gathered enormous wealth, and was as corrupt as those around him
External links
- Anders Åslund Biography at the Peterson Institute's site
- Anders Åslund's opinion editorial commentaries for Project SyndicateProject SyndicateProject Syndicate is an international not-for-profit newspaper syndicate and association of newspapers. It distributes commentaries and analysis by experts, activists, Nobel laureates, statesmen, economists, political thinkers, business leaders and academics to its member publications, and...