Highlights
– Dmitry Medvedev will likely win the Presidency with Putin’s support
– Medvedev is considered liberal and lacks foreign policy experience
– Putin likely chose Medvedev because of his pliability and loyalty
The heir apparent to Russian President Vladimir Putin has been revealed—United Russia and three other Kremlin political parties have nominated First Deputy Prime Minister, Dmitry Medvedev as their Presidential candidate. Most importantly, President Putin has now publicly gone on record stating his support for Medvedev.
There has been a great deal of speculation in the last year regarding who would emerge as the prime candidate for the Russian presidential elections. President Putin is currently constitutionally barred from seeking a third, consecutive presidential term when elections are conducted in March 2008. However, Putin’s endorsement is seen as crucial to the success of any presidential candidate.
President Putin personifies the modern face of Russia and is credited with transforming Russia into a powerful state once again after the volatility that ensued in the aftermath of the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Many critics have also noted that many democratic principles have also been eroded under Putin’s tenure. However, he remains enormously popular in Russia and is credited with restoring national pride and power. Therefore, the choice of successor and continuity is being weighed very carefully in the inner circles of the Kremlin. Putin’s endorsement of a candidate is considered essential for a successful Presidential bid.
The Choice of Medvedev
In the last year, it appeared that President Putin was carefully considering a potential candidate and successor. He reshuffled government officials and promoted others publicly in Russia. There was also speculation that he was trying out potential candidates on the national stage as well, giving each more responsibility. Both Dmitry Medvedev and another First Deputy Prime Minister, Sergei Ivanov, as well as the new Prime Minister, Viktor Zukhov were all considered potential presidential candidates. It now appears that Dmitry Medvedev has emerged as the candidate of choice.
Medvedev is a young leader, 42-years old, but still rather untested on the national stage, having only recently been promoted to First Deputy Prime Minister. President Putin placed him in charge of national projects, which involves many social programs around he country, however he lacks experience in foreign policy.
Of note, Medvedev currently holds the position of Chairman of Gazprom. He is a lawyer by training and is considered a close personal friend of Vladimir Putin. He has also held positions as Putin’s Chief of Staff and managed his election campaign in 2000. Medvedev is considered a liberal politically and economically.
Although he hails from the same St Petersburg circle as President Putin, there is one fundamental difference between him and many of the Kremlin political elite. Medvedev is not a former KGB or intelligence agency officer, which has characterized many of the power elite in the Kremlin.
Future Presidential Impact
There are different opinions on the choice and potential impact of Medvedev as Russian president. On one hand, the choice of someone young, “liberal”, and unencumbered with the intelligence agency heritage may be seen as a clean break from the Kremlin elite. Many are also surprised Putin did not choose a “hawk” to continue his domestic and foreign policy initiatives.
However, Medvedev also owes his political career to President Putin and is considered immensely loyal to him. He has not made the type of personal connection with the Russian people, unlike the cult of personality surrounding President Putin. Taking into account these factors, it would appear that President Putin is backing a successor who is pliable and inexperienced who would look to Putin for guidance.
Medvedev has already called on President Putin to stay on as Prime Minister, traditionally a much weaker position than President. Putin has now publicly stated that he will seek the position of Prime Minister with a Medvedev presidency, a move many see as keeping himself in the corridors of power.
It is certainly possible that Medvedev may become the “caretaker” President with Vladimir Putin pulling the strings, but the acquisition of power could transform Medvedev and test his loyalty to Putin in the future.
