President Dmitry Medvedev's interview with French magazine Paris Match appeared yesterday on the Kremlin's site. The interview was timed to coincide with his visit to France. Medvedev spoke, in particular, about future presidential elections. NG experts have different interpretations of his words. Some of them believe that he was addressing the faction of the elite that may become his supporters in the 2012 campaign.
It has become a matter of courtesy to ask the Russian President about the 2012 elections, but only among foreign journalists. Those Russian journalists who have access to the President are not accustomed to posing such politically loaded questions. That is why routine interviews on the eve of his foreign visits consistently arouse interest in Russia.
Now a French correspondent asks this ceremonial question: "How would you describe your relations with Vladimir Putin, who once said that you are people of the same blood? What do you think about your own future in light of the 2012 presidential elections?"
Medvedev was not surprised by the question. Has he become inured? His jocular reply makes one think that he saw it coming: "As for the blood group, I think Putin is right. We do have the same blood group. We have recently established it as a medical fact."
"As for the political future, nobody knows. Obviously, as responsible people we will discuss the political future of this country and our place in it. At any rate, for the time being, our union is working well, and, I believe, is useful to the country. In general, it is very good when the President and the Prime Minister have good relations. It is worse when they do not. Don't you think so?" The correspondent did not answer and changed the subject.
A rather long TV show on the subject of who will run for president saw several interpretations of Medvedev's and Putin's statements. Initially, when Putin said at the Valdai forum that he "will strike a deal" with the President, the political beau-monde had no doubts about it. This confidence was reaffirmed after Putin made a similar statement when speaking as the United Russia party leader at its congress last autumn. Medvedev did not object, but became protractedly silent, making evasive remarks from time to time. The situation continued developing. The report of the presidential Institute of Modern Development and the President's recent resolute moves to reform the Ministry of the Interior seem to have consolidated a considerable part of the elite in his corner.
Medvedev's current statement suggests at least two interpretations. Most likely, the partners in the tandem have decided to draw a line because otherwise, their statements may be interpreted as the confirmation of Putin's directive.
Olga Kryshtanovskaya, head of the Elite Study Center at the Institute of Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said: "This is natural. It rarely happens that a leader would make an unequivocal statement so long before the elections. I think Medvedev and Putin will indeed discuss the problem together. Most likely, they won't split the voters."
The expert believes that it would be most interesting to see them compete with each other: "This would mean that we really have a democracy. However, she emphasised that if that were the case, Medvedev should have his own party, which he so far lacks.
Andrei Ryabov, a member of the Research Council of the Carnegie Moscow Center, has a different opinion: "Unequivocal interpretations prevailed for several weeks in the world of speculative information: the issue has been resolved, the former President will return, and the current one will look for a new job. The recent interview pursues a different agenda. The President said, as it were: 'Of course, the question will be decided where it was decided, but don't jump to hasty conclusions. Don't think that I'm completing my term and thinking about my future employment. Don't make haste. I know that there exists a definite interpretation of the prime minister's statements, but I am not at all saying that I won't make a play for these elections.' This is his response to skeptics. This is a very cautious reply typical of Medvedev, without any definite assurances like: 'don't rush, the issue is open.'"
By Alexandra Samarina
