Leonid Bershidsky: Saudi Arabia is 'Putinizing,' not modernizing

In any authoritarian regime, fighting corruption can only be a pretext for power consolidation because the nature of the system invites corruption.

In this photo released on Monday, Oct. 30, 2017 by Lebanon's official government photographer Dalati Nohra, showing Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, right, meets with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Hariri resigned from his post Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017 during a trip to Saudi Arabia in a surprise move that plunged the country into uncertainty amid heightened regional tensions. (Dalati Nohra via AP)

Leonid Bershidsky: Saudi Arabia is 'Putinizing,' not modernizing

In any authoritarian regime, fighting corruption can only be a pretext for power consolidation because the nature of the system invites corruption.

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