Democrats, conservatives and liberals all claim Putin and Medvedev are their own.
Russians believe that President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin are spokesmen for three different and conflicting ideologies. Democrats, conservatives and liberals identify Putin and Medvedev as political allies. Sociologists point out that both the prime minister and the president operate with significant ideological latitude. "Today they may act like liberals by advocating lower taxes, but tomorrow they might favour paternalistic attitudes and oppose cuts in the salaries of public sector employees," Valery Fyodorov, head of VTsIOM (the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Centre), explained to RBC Daily.
VTsIOM conducted a nationwide poll on March 6 and 7 among 1,600 people in 140 cities and villages in 42 regions. The poll found that the majority of people (36%) define themselves as conservatives. For them, conservatism means "returning to traditions and time-tested moral values, establishing an order based on national unity and defending national interests."
For the most part, self-defined conservatives are Communist Party supporters (61%), low-income people (44%) and people approaching or at retirement age (44%-45%). There are few conservatives among non-voters (28%). Twenty three percent of young people describe themselves as conservatives, as do 27% of financially secure respondents. The number of self-described conservatives has grown in the past five years, up from 33% in 2005 to the current 36%.
A quarter of people in Russia (24%) describe themselves as democrats. They define democratic values as "human rights, democracy and freedom of expression."
Most of them are young (32%) and financially secure (32%). The fewest democrats are found among low-income Russians (18%), pensioners (20%) and Communist Party supporters (12%). The number of democrats has grown over the past five years, up from 22% in 2005 to the current 24%.
The poll found that 10% of people adhere to liberal values, meaning "free markets, private ownership, minimum state interference in the economy and support for the strongest, the creators." The most self-described liberals are found among the supporters of A Just Russia party (14%), the middle-aged (14%) and younger (12%), and middle- and upper-class respondents (11% each). Curiously, in the past five years the number of liberals has decreased, falling from 12% in 2005 to the current 10%.
Paradoxically, members of all three ideological groups consider Medvedev and Putin the main spokesmen for their ideologies. Thus, 21% of democrats called Putin their main supporter, while 16% named Medvedev. Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, was named by a mere six percent of democrats.
Conservatives also named Putin (15%), Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov (13%) and Medvedev (11%) as an ideological ally.
Liberals also consider Putin and Medvedev the main supporters of their ideas, with 18% and 17%, respectively. They are followed by Zhirinovsky with only six percent and former Yabloko leader Grigory Yavlinsky with three percent. Irina Hakamada, after falling from the political Olympus, did not even make it onto the list this time.
The president's press secretary, Natalya Timakova, could not say how Medvedev self-identifies ideologically. "I believe it is necessary to look at all the president's statements, to see what views and ideas he advocates, what he is calling for, and then make a conclusion," she said to a RBC Daily correspondent. Although Medvedev called himself a liberal in some speeches, officials in his administration say that his ideas are not exclusively liberal. The prime minister's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, could not be reached for comments yesterday.
Sociologists do not see any cause for concern in this ideological mess. Fyodorov explained that the politicians of the 1990s, who were closely associated with ideologies, have left the political arena. "The new politicians position themselves as pragmatists. In general, they don't put ideology front and centre," Fyodorov told RBC Daily. "What we are accustomed to calling ideologies are no longer functional, but political parties still like to hurl outdated labels at each other."
Fyodorov also noted that neither Putin nor Medvedev swear allegiance to a particular ideology. The actions and decision they have taken in their posts span the range of ideologies. "Today they may act like liberals by advocating lower taxes, but tomorrow they might favour paternalistic attitudes and oppose cuts in the salaries of public sector employees," Fyodorov explained, adding that this is how "Medvedev and Putin can be both the leading liberals and leading conservatives in this country."
Tatyana Kosobokova