Change for the sake of continuity? Élite politics in post-Nazarbayev Kazakhstan (2019–2023)

Focusing on the case of Kazakhstan, this article offers novel insights on élite politics in post-personalist regime settings. By presenting an in-depth analysis of ruler–élite relations in the post-Nazarbayev years (2019–2023), we highlight striking continuities with cadre management modalities consolidated in Kazakhstan during the long Nazarbayev era (1992–2019), suggesting that the replication of élite management strategies is the direct consequence of authoritarian continuity beyond leadership change. Our findings address mainstream scholarly conversations on transitions out of personalist rule within and beyond post-Soviet Eurasia, while bringing new evidence to the ongoing debates on the nature of authoritarianism in post-Nazarbayev Kazakhstan.