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Main page > Products > Politics in Russia: power, lobby, conflicts - The weekly bulletin > Politics in Russia: power, lobby, conflicts. Issue No (29) 770
Politics in Russia: power, lobby, conflicts. Issue No (29) 770
July 13 - 19, 2009
Main tendencies of political week
Last week the head of state sent at least two signals to different groups of the population. The first signal was to correct Dmitry Medvedev’s liberal image that had been overweighting over the previous two weeks. To balance this, the president visited South Ossetia and Novorossiysk where he acted as Supreme Commander-in-Chief. Besides, this was during last year’s war against Georgia when Medvedev’s reputation of the decisive and sovereign head of state was formed. A video conference in the president’s reception office, which signified promotion of a new feedback format, was aimed at more liberal and technologically advanced strata of the population. In addition to image purposes, the head of state also maintained an inter-confessional balance. He met with leaders of Russian Muslims to smooth over the discontent of some traditional religions practiced in Russia that were unhappy with the Russian Orthodox Church claiming an exclusive role.
Meanwhile, signals sent by the tandem did not go unnoticed on a regional level where officials were fighting consequences of the crisis more actively. In fact one should point out that the bureaucracy gradually started replacing reactive measures with preventive ones in fighting the crisis’ social consequences. In particular, according to interior minister Rashid Nurgaliyev, a situational center as well as special groups in all regions has been established in his ministry to monitor public sentiments. Previously there was information about creation of a group of law enforcement officers and civilians in the Primorsky Region to monitor the Internet and prevent attempts to organize mass protest actions.
Last week the outlooks of the Pravoe Delo party at the Moscow City Duma election remained unclear; this election is practically a pass for the party to federal politics. An aggravating conflict in the leadership questions the party’s ability to implement any coordinated strategy to secure victory. If the new rightists do not introduce the one-man command, they are likely to face a split and full marginalization.
Major events July 13, 2009 - July 19, 2009
| Event | Winning side | Defeated side | Development Outlooks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dmitry Medvedev’s video conference with citizens | Dmitry Medvedev |
| Functionaries will have to gradually start using more technically advanced means to communicate with the population |
| Dmitry Medvedev’s visits to South Ossetia and Novorossiysk; a meeting on the results of military exercises | Dmitry Medvedev |
| Russia’s president will periodically position himself as “patron of the army” |
| State Council’s meeting devoted to the youth policy |
|
| The president will keep supporting youth movements that will fit the current agenda |
| Dmitry Medvedev says main arrangements of military reforms will be completed by December 1, 2009 | Anatoly Serdyukov |
| The most painful reforms will be somewhat frozen |
| Interior minister Rashid Nurgaliyev says that operative groups have been formed in his ministry to monitor public sentiments | Rashid Nurgaliyev |
| State authorities will be gradually staking on preventive, not reactive, measures to fight social consequences of the crisis |
| Audit Chamber head Sergey Stepashin says finance minister Alexey Kudrin should not define economic policy |
|
| This statement practically won’t influence Kudrin’s inner-elite position |
| Konstantin Totsky is appointed deputy head of Rosprirodnadzor | Vladimir Kirillov |
| Kirillov will continue reinforcing the service with his cadres |
| President signs the bill on creation of Rosavtodor state corporation into law | Sergey Ivanov, Igor Levitin |
| During the crisis the state corporation will function sluggishly |
| A general meeting of the Moscow branch of the Pravoe Delo party | Andrey Bogdanov | Leonid Gozman, Boris Titov | Without introduction of the one-man command the party will split |
| Federation Council speaker Sergey Mironov says the state should ensure normal conditions of life of the youth | Sergey Mironov |
| Mironov will keep trying to adjust to the current agenda |
Volume: 13 pages
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