Carnegie Moscow Center
The All-Russia People’s Front, a creation of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, may succeed in bringing fresh faces into Russian government, but its primary role is to reinforce Putin’s role as national leader.
While Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has shown no signs of being willing to leave power after the 2012 presidential elections, it looks increasingly like there will be no role for President Dmitry Medvedev in the post-election era.
In advance of the 2012 presidential election, Vladimir Putin seeks to convince the world that the rift between him and incumbent Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is growing. But there is no evidence that any real power is starting to move Medvedev’s way, and he is not ready to challenge Putin.
Although Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is aware of the serious problems facing Russia, his address to the State Duma ignored Russia’s existing challenges and instead offered grand promises for the future with the apparent aim of positioning himself for the 2012 presidential elections.
The most likely reason that Russians have not risen up in a revolution like the people in Egypt is not the Kremlin’s tight grip on power, but rather the fact that there is no widespread popular demand for democracy in Russia.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s announcement of new initiatives for improving the investment climate in Russia and reducing corruption demonstrates his readiness to run for a second term.
Moscow's position on military intervention in Libya plays into Russia's foreign policy focus on modernization and cooperation with Western Europe and the United States and is likely to be a factor in the upcoming 2012 presidential elections.
Public confidence in Russia's ruling tandem has plummeted to record lows, and a majority now believes their country is headed in the wrong direction. The country needs reform, but it may be too late for the system to save itself.
Both the electoral system and the party system in Russia are in deep crisis; the political parties are not ready for a change in the relationship between the government and its people and are unable to position themselves to aid cooperation between the authorities and Russian citizens.
Russia’s economic performance exceeded expectations in 2010, but inflation continues to worry policy makers. While they are attempting to curb rising prices, they are avoiding other necessary reforms for fear of inciting protests as elections approach.