VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
The delegates to the congress were guessing who would be the next President. Mr Putin, said deputy Iosif Kobzon. "I have to think. I can't answer off the top of my head. There is still a lot of time ahead," answered gymnast Alina Kabayeva. She has not yet decided whether she prefers Mr Putin or current President Dmitry Medvedev, but she is in favour of a longer presidential term. "Six years is just right. You see, it takes nine hours just to fly to Vladivostok."
In November 2003, portraits of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin were burned in Moldova. Five years later, the Moldovan authorities invited him to Chisinau. YURI ROSHKA, the Vice Speaker of the Moldovan Parliament and one-time leader of the Moldovan opposition, commented on both events to our correspondent, VLADIMIR SOLOVYOV.
Dmitry Medvedev's speech at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington came as a surprise for the US establishment. The audience witnessed a different Medvedev. This was not the statesman who had given a speech the day after the US presidential elections that included statements on Russia's foreign policy and that were taken by many as anti-American both in Russia and outside the country. In Washington, Medvedev made a candidly pro-US speech. Many of his statements drew back major points made by then-President Vladimir Putin in Munich. Medvedev actually sounded opposed to Putin, disappointing those who support a confrontation between Russia and the US. So what are the reasons for this change?
The Government does not pay much attention to high technology. This is a luxury at the moment. Nevertheless, it was pondering ways to support the IT sector and the media industry.
The region will deal with the financial crisis at the expense of public sector employees in rural areas. Deputies of the regional legislature adopted a 2009 budget that, for the first time, does not include tax breaks for health and cultural sector workers. They paid housing and communal bills at half the rate. As Andrei Alyokhin, Omsk Communist leader, told Novaya Gazeta, United Russia deputies, who hold 38 out of the 44 seats, "would have gladly voted for taking benefits away from teachers, too, but these are protected by a federal law".
What's the point of increasing the presidential term? The most widespread opinion is as follows: the economic crisis makes the Government everybody's scapegoat. Inflation, unemployment and poverty are sending the popularity rating of Vladimir Putin's Cabinet down. In the past eight years the Russian political system has had only one flimsy support: Mr Putin's personal popularity. To keep afloat, the establishment should save face at all cost. This is what Russia's near future might be: first come constitutional amendments, followed by early election, in which the electorate would exercise its right to vote for a new president and State Duma in compliance with the updated constitution. So Putin will return to presidency or become the Speaker of Parliament, where United Russia has an absolute majority.
As former Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin once sadly remarked, any political party set up in the new Russia ends up as another version of the Communist Party. He was famous for his succinct pronouncements. His edict would be just as appropriate for the 10th congress of United Russia, which elected a milkmaid to the party General Council-not because she was a Russian counterpart of Lech Walesa to start from a low social status for a dazzling political career. No, she was elected just because she was a milkmaid. It went without saying that the vote was unanimous just as on all the other congress decisions. United Russia has no room for debates as the Soviet Communist Party had none in its time.
At a congress of the United Russia party, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin put forth his ideas for ways of surmounting the crisis for the nation's small businesses. "We must join efforts to create the most comfortable environment for entrepreneurs, to help those people who want to open their own business, but are still hesitant and doubtful, to make a positive decision. The federal measures will be much more effective if they are supported and developed in the regions. We must invite small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to implement state and municipal orders, help them to get premises and connection to public utility networks, and also remove administrative barriers to business, including limited access to local markets," Mr Putin said. Judging by all signs, this is only the beginning.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin seems to be trying his hardest not to overshadow his superior, President Dmitry Medvedev. Putin chose the United Russia party congress - obviously, out of delicacy - to deliver his almost revolutionary announcement about tax reforms and state aid for the country's real economy, including profit tax cuts.
"Parties are created not to satisfy the ambitions of their leaders, but to develop the state and help people in their daily life." This is certainly true of the party that gathered at Gostiny Dvor for its regular congress on November 20. The words were spoken by Dmitry Medvedev, an honoured guest at the 10th Congress of United Russia. First, the ambitions of the UR's leader, Mr Putin, had been met long before he became the head of the party. Second, the governing party today is indeed more in touch with the "daily life" of the voters than ever before.
The main theme of both addresses was social problems. Specific issues discussed included: ensuring that the government follows through on the social liabilities it has taken on; making the elites responsible for the nation's well-being and social stability; a number of other measures put forward by the party's chief, ranging from raising unemployment benefits and guaranteeing timely salaries to state-paid employees to suspending advance payment of income tax and a sharp increase in tax refunds for apartments worth up to 2 million roubles. These measures concern state-paid employees, the middle class, and SMBs.
The Russian government will cut the profit tax from 24% to 20% in 2009, saving companies around 400 billion roubles, as part of the anti-crisis package of proposals, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said at a meeting of the United Russia party. In addition, businesses will save another 100 billion roubles due to the increased profit tax amortization premium. First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said the changes would compensate businesses for more than half of the rise in social payments planned for 2010. And, more to the point, the profit tax breaks will only help if companies post profits in 2009.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin acknowledged for the first time on Thursday that the Russian Government's handling of the economic crisis was for the most part a reaction to force majeure. The Government does not plan any essential changes in the country's economic development strategy, he said. On the contrary, he considers the Government's earlier economic policy to be a major factor in helping Russia's economy weather the crisis and preserve its potential for a better tomorrow.
The spectre of the economic crisis hovered over the 10th Congress of United Russia
The 10th Congress of United Russia (UR) was held at Gostiny Dvor on Thursday. For the first time, it was conducted by Vladimir Putin, the Prime Minister who doubles as the Party's Chairman. The focal topic of all the speeches was how to protect the Russian economy against the world financial crisis. Mr Putin, President Dmitry Medvedev and United Russia Supreme Council Chairman Boris Gryzlov all spoke about it. They promised tax cuts to enterprises, financial aid to banks, and increased social benefits and tax breaks for citizens. Mr Putin did not formally join United Russia, in spite of rumours ahead of the Congress that a party card had been prepared for him.
The Prime Minister and Chairman of the United Russia party yesterday addressed the party's 10th Congress, presenting a programme of the country's social and economic development through the year 2020. He promised to avert an economic shock, protect people's savings in banks, and the interests of shareholders in housing construction. These were just some of the measures proposed. The party will draw up its own action plan to fit the programme of Mr Putin's Cabinet. The "Government-Party tandem" is beginning to work, and the State Duma will pass the leader's proposals into law today.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin demanded that, starting in 2009, profit taxes be cut to 20% for everyone and to 5% for small businesses, and that depreciation premiums be tripled.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin told the United Russia party's congress that the defence industry would receive 1% of allocations, or 50 billion roubles ($1.8 billion), under the federal economic bailout plan. However, this amount is too small to solve the problems even of the major companies.
The Government admits that the financial crisis has now escalated into an economic crisis, and plans to use tax breaks for bailing out domestic industries.
The United Russia congress that is due to be held today may produce as big a sensation as the previous one, when Prime Minister Vladimir Putin became the ruling party's chairman despite not being a member. This congress may see the Premier receiving his party card. Some deputies make even bolder guesses: Mr Putin may quit his post as Prime Minister, which is hardly the most comfortable post during a massive economic crisis, and become the speaker of the State Duma. Political analysts note that Mr Putin likes to spring surprises in order to tighten his grip on the Government.
At first glance, nothing unexpected has happened. Back in the summer of 2007, I suggested in Novaya Gazeta that after the end of his second term as President, Vladimir Putin would move to the Prime Minister's seat, keeping his grip on government and appointing a stand-in who would not possess full powers but would "keep the seat warm" until he became President again. One of his missions would be to adopt constitutional amendments to extend the presidential term while he himself would probably stay in power for no more than two years.
