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Levada Analytical Center: “From opinions – to understanding”
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Politics
05
Opinion:
The main question in Russian politics next President today? That would be pre- politics. He could go into business. First, he is part of Putin’s team and the head
in the last few months has been answered: mature. But Russian political realities prevent him of the main component of Putin’s plan – na-
A candidate,
four parties, two of which (United Russia and First, in addition to opposition self-nominees from leaving politics once and for all be- tional projects. And he has proved his loyalty
Just Russia) have an overwhelming majority (former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, cause the system of power, which he has to Putin for many years. Second, Medvedev
not yet a
in the future Duma, have announced their ex-world chess champion Garry Kasparov, built, may not withstand the blow. has a stable reputation of a liberal in the
presidential nominee. to name just two), another official candidate We should probably bear in mind the op- Kremlin. He has demonstrated this on at
successor
He is First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry may be nominated. tion that has recently surfaced of an official least two occasions – when he opposed
Medvedev, and his candidacy was ap- At any rate, Putin himself has repeatedly re- formation of a new Union State of Russia extreme measures against Mikhail Khodor-
proved by Vladimir Putin. “I have known him nounced the term “successor,” insisting that and Belarus. In this case, there is no need kovsky, and when he criticized the notion of
VITALY DYMARSKY for more than 17 years and fully support his there are many candidates. But this is not the to change the constitution – it is enough to “sovereign democracy.”
MOSCOW
nomination,” said the Russian President at main point, even if Medvedev does become sign a supra-government constitutional To sum up, Medvedev is largely a compro-
a meeting with representatives of the four the next President. Another crucial ques- act introducing the position of the Union mise figure. He can suit and reconcile both
parties. tion has not yet been resolved: What will be State’s president. But this is guesswork and the liberals that suffered a crushing defeat
This nomination will be endorsed at party Putin’s political destiny? few predictions justify themselves when it in the parliamentary elections, and the pro-
congresses before the end of December. Guesswork is counterproductive. It seems comes to Putin. As for Medvedev, he has ponents of further consolidation of political
Should Medvedev be proclaimed Russia’s that Putin himself would not mind leaving big two major advantages. power.
Strategy Everybody heard about it, yet it still has to be explained Politics A close working relationship with Putin put
the nominee at the head of the race
Putin’s Plan
Is This the Path to the
Presidency?
Back to the USSR or Forward
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
In June 2000, he was appointed
to a Strong, Democratic Russia
first deputy chief of the presiden-
tial executive office and chair-
man of the board of directors of
Gazprom, a significant post in
Russia.
VLADIMIR RODIONOV_RIA NOVOSTI
In October that year, Putin asked
“Putin’s Plan” is a phrase that Medvedev to be chief of the
has provided linguistic zest presidential executive office. In
to the just-finished election. November 2005, he was ap-
Initially coined as a slogan for pointed First Deputy Prime Min-
the governing party United wister, encouraging the belief
Russia the term gained extra that he would succeed Putin.
emphasis when the President However, First Deputy Prime
himself began using it, Minister Sergei Ivanov was also 2000. Vladimir Putin (right) and Dmitry Medvedev, head of the presi-
referring to the plan as the considered a potential succes- dential candidate’s election headquarters (left).
“will of the majority.” If truth be sor. Some time before, Medve-
told, however, it is extremely dev had been put in charge of
rare to find a Russian who priority national projects, which
understands what the plan journalists and analysts saw as
actually means. a grooming for the presidency.
(National projects were consid-
ANNA ZAKATNOVA
ered a useful vehicle for promot-
MOSCOW ing a positive public view of the
authorities.)
VLADIMIR RODIONOV_RIA NOVOSTI
Officially, “Putin’s plan” refers to In July 2006, Medvedev criti-
a document which came to the cised Ivanov’s favourite term,
fore in May 2007, penned by the “sovereign democracy”, in a
pro-Putin governing party “Unit- magazine interview. Medvedev
ed Russia.” Later, it was to be- was regarded as a Kremlin liber-
come their campaign manifesto al, while Ivanov was thought to
in the Duma elections. represent the more hawkish law- 2007. Dmitry Medvedev (left) and Putin at a meeting in the Kremlin
Putin himself emphasized sup- enforcement and security fac-
port for the program by agreeing Young Fans Rally For Putin tion. The people liked the nation-
to head United Russia’s elector- al projects, and Medvedev’s Many Russians thought that nomination. Medvedev is mar-
al list in October. Moreover, he
ALEXANDR SCHEMLYAEV_EDINAYA ROSSIA
rating soon soared ahead of Iva- Putin was using the Medvedev- ried to Svetlana, whom he has
recently confirmed that this plan nov’s. In a Levada poll in Janu- Ivanov debate to divert attention known since school, and has a
would form the basis of “any pol- so, what they knew. Only six Commentary: a unique and great civilization, ary, 33 percent of respondents from another unknown candi- son, Ilya, born in 1996. His youth-
icy carried out by the future par- percent of those polled were
BORIS GRYZLOV,
so we should protect and pre- said they would vote for Medve- date. But it became clear on De- ful hobbies were hard rock, pho-
liament, government and head able to answer this question.
United Russia Chairman
serve our common cultural dev in the first round and 54 per- cember 10 that Medvedev had tography, weightlifting and
of state.” Clearly, then, Putin’s Nearly half – 47 percent – had
and State Duma Speaker
space for future generations — cent in the second. won the unofficial race for the chess.
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Plan should be seen as not only never heard of Putin’s Plan; 12 the wealth of the Russian lan-
a dominant theme in the current percent had heard about it but What exactly is Putin’s Plan? guage, traditional tolerance and
election campaigns, but also as could not explain it; and another Putin’s Plan is simply the spiritual values.
a roadmap for Russia’s political 29 percent knew “something” political course of the current Second, that we need to build a
course over the next four or more about it. Six percent found the president. He has already competitive economy.
Media Russian web site receives accolade
years. question too difficult to answer. outlined its basic ideas in his Third, that we should use our
The influence of Putin’s plan On one level, this could sug- annual addresses to parliament. national projects to substantial-
has already been recognized by gest that United Russia – and Together with the government, ly increase wages and pen-
opposition forces. Indeed, the the President – are hopelessly our deputies have been working sions, and to generally improve
Web Portal on Foreign
strategy has been aggressively out of touch with the electorate. on these tasks since 2000. In the living standards of our com-
criticized by both the left and the On another level, ask the same the last four years alone, we patriots.
right. Communist party leader question a different way and have passed more than a Fourth, that we should develop
Media Wins Award
Gennady Zyuganov, for exam- you will see a completely differ- thousand laws and have rebuilt social institutions for our citi-
ple, described it as a document ent picture. For example, in re- the legal framework we inherited zens.
“in support of Big Business and sponse to the question “do you from the Soviet Union. Fifth, that we should develop The InoSMI Internet project and publish materials that are
the oligarchs.” Nikita Belykh, think Putin has a clear-cut plan Russia’s position as a sover- (www.inosmi.ru), interesting and not banal.
leader of the opposition Union of reforms and knows what he What is the anticipated time eign state. which publishes foreign media
RIA NOVOSTI
Strictly speaking, such mate-
of Right (Just) Forces party, of- wants to achieve?”, no less frame? articles translated into rial is not predominant in inter-
fered an even less guarded and that 65 percent of respondents For United Russia, Putin’s Which of these goals would you Russian, won an award national media.
more serious condemnation, answered definitely or proba- annual addresses are not just address first if United Russia at Runet Award-2007 on However, due to hard work
describing it as “the road back to bly “yes.” Only 19 percent an- individual and scattered docu- wins enough votes to become a Tuesday. and dedication, the site has
the USSR, to a single-party sys- swered “no,” and a further 14 ments, but a comprehensive majority party again? become very popular with
tem, lack of rights, the uncon- percent of respondents de- strategy of national develop- In most of its goals “Putin’s Russian readers and also with
trolled dominance of bureaucra- clined to answer. ment. Each address sets both Plan” is already underway – visitors from foreign countries.
cy, an ineffective economy, cult When the respondents were strategic and tactical tasks, both through the adopted laws Today, InoSmi gets between
of personality, the Cold War, the asked whether Putin had a plan which we have been imple- and the three-year budget, The competition, which ac- 70,000 and 90,000 visitors
arms race, spy mania, and which could make Russia menting step by step. Vladimir which will become effective on knowledges contributions to every day – a very high figure
struggle against ‘the enemies of strong, rich and prosperous, Putin is a leader in charge of na- January 1. The country is in the development of Russia's InoSMI Editor-in-Chief Yaroslav for a serious Russian news
the people.” 58% replied affirmatively — ei- tional strategy and this is why good shape and we have man- Web segment, was created by Ognev (left) displays his trophy site.
On the other hand, how well the ther “definitely” or “probably”; 23 we have dubbed his ideas “Pu- aged to minimize the most dan- the Federal Agency for Print and gets a helping hand from a InoSMI had previously re-
plan is genuinely understood by percent said “no”; and 19 per- tin’s Plan.” It is our view that this gerous threats facing it. Now and Mass Media. colleague (right). ceived the "Information Web-
the general public is a matter of cent could not answer. plan should be implemented we will embark on the next InoSMI received an award in site of the Year” award from
debate. In a poll conducted in So what exactly is contained in even after Putin leaves office in stage and ensure Russia’s the culture and mass media the EZhE International Union
October, sociologists from the this plan? Boris Gryzlov, one of 2008. rapid progress in all key direc- category. In comments made after the of Internet Professionals. Now
independent and respected the documents’s main archi- tions.
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The website, launched by the awards ceremony, InoSMI Ed- its role in the development of
Moscow-based Levada Analyt- tects and the current leader of What is the Plan’s main prior- RIA Novosti news agency in itor-in-Chief Yaroslav Ognev the Russian Internet has been
ical Center asked respondents United Russia’s parliamentary ity? For more on Putin's plan read February 2004, has visitors said the idea initially seemed officially certified with the pres-
whether they had heard any- faction offered the following I would actually emphasize five Dmitry Babich on from Russia, the former Soviet risky, as it had been decided tigious Runet Award, Ognev
thing about “Putin’s Plan” and, if commentary to RBTH: main ideas. First, that Russia is www.rbth.rg.ru republics and other countries. that the site should translate said.
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