No viable anti-crisis initiatives have come from the governing party.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin met with the leaders of the parliamentary United Russia Party at his Novo-Ogaryovo residence yesterday. Among those invited were Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov, his deputies, and the heads of Duma committees. The topic was the Government's anti-crisis programme. United Russia submitted a package of proposals on social support to the Prime Minister. The package is a bizarre mixture of populism and a clear wish to make the people bear the brunt of the crisis. For example, Boris Gryzlov suggested that "construction" bonds be sold to citizens, the purchase of such bonds would be a test of their patriotism.
The United Russia members who arrived at the Prime Minister's residence were shown into the conference room long before the Prime Minister came. Having taken their seats at the round table they were waiting for the Prime Minister in tense silence. Even the chief ideologist and guiding spirit of the governing party, First Deputy Chief of the President's Executive Office, Vladislav Surkov, was in no mood for conversation. He was doodling with his pencil on a blank sheet of paper showing no interest in the colleagues sitting on either side of him.
Only the Secretary of the United Russia General Council, Vyacheslav Volodin, and the party whip, Andrei Vorobyov, were engaged in a lively conversation, which was later joined by the head of the Duma Constitutional Law Committee, Vladimir Pligin. The Prime Minister was still not in sight. Actually, he was having a one-on-one meeting with the Speaker of the lower house, Boris Gryzlov, apparently putting the finishing touches to his speech to the Duma scheduled for April 6. Mr Gryzlov entered the conference room about five minutes ahead of the Prime Minister.
"April 1 marks the 200th birthday of one of the greatest Russian writers, Nikolai Gogol. He linked two fraternal peoples, the Russians and the Ukrainians; it is a milestone in our country's cultural life," Mr Putin said opening the meeting.
"Last week we discussed anti-crisis measures so as to minimise losses due to these phenomena and resume development. We said that it is necessary to put together all the proposals in one package and to determine which instruments are effective. The topic takes on added relevance in connection with the discussion of the updated budget for 2009," the Prime Minister said passing on to the business part of the meeting. He enumerated the key priorities of the anti-crisis plan: social support of citizens and the real sector, he praised United Russia for its efforts to explain anti-crisis measures to the population before giving the floor to Mr Gryzlov.
The Speaker of the lower house practically read out the text of his recent speech at a joint session of the party's supreme and general councils. However, the report included some new initiatives. For example, Mr Gryzlov seemed particularly concerned that the Government had earmarked 43 billion roubles for job creation but the programme does not specify what jobs. The Prime Minister reacted promptly. He admitted that the item needed some elaboration. However, the Government charged the heads of regions with developing the programmes.
"I have asked the heads of regions to create an anti-crisis headquarters and to head them up, but not all the regional heads have done it, so they don't know the details of the employment programme," Mr Putin lamented. He said that the regional authorities knew what jobs were needed because local businessmen should have put them wise to it.
Mr Gryzlov apparently felt that this explanation was not enough and for his part launched an unusual initiative by proposing that house superintendents be introduced. He reckons that this could create about a million new jobs without spending any federal money and stimulate the reform of the housing and utilities sector.
Mr Gryzlov complained about growing prices. "Pricing is one of the most serious issues," Mr Putin responded and again proposed that the regions be responsible for the issue because that task could only effectively be tackled at the local level. Mr Gryzlov's next proposal was aimed at mobilising the population in the crisis context. He said the list of strategic construction projects financed by the state should be published. Non-inscribed bonds could be issued and they would be bought by patriotically-minded citizens to help the construction sites. "The proposal may be seen as a way to mobilise the situation", Mr Putin agreed. The Prime Minister chose to hear the reports of coordinators of United Russia discussion clubs without the press.
Summing up the proposals made by United Russia, even only those made during the public part of the conversation with the Prime Minister, one can readily see that the initiatives might as well have come from A Just Russia or the Communist parties. However, the social thrust of the United Russia proposals is by no means obvious. For example, Mr Gryzlov's idea of selling "patriotic" bonds, which would be a kind of test of people's public-spiritedness, is dubious because people are far more concerned about their falling incomes.