Foundation of religious political parties

In the middle of January the head of the Synodal Brabch under Moscow Patriarchy on relations of Church and society, Vsevolod Chaplin, spread in Internet the idea of foundation of the Orthodox (Christian) party in Russia. It caused an ambiguous reaction. However, Chaplin continued the discussion within the press-conference “Is appearance of religious political parties possible in Russia?”

According to Chaplin, in the 1990s there were successful examples of establishing Orthodox political organizations. However, those days these organizations were not consolidated and even opposed each other. Then, the law on restriction of establishing political parties according to religious principle was adopted. At the same time, in other countries there are many examples of political forces, ideology of which is based on Christian morality, even though they are not necessarily called “Christian” or “Christian-Democratic.” As for possibility of existence such parties in Russia, Chaplin leaves it open. According to him, there are two major religious groups, which will try to found political parties, oriented to Christianity: first group is conservative and directed at Orthodox believers only, while another group unites liberal Orthodox Christians, Protestants and Catholics. Chaplin considers it would be right to organize Christian groups within already existing parties, including those, which are presented in the State Duma.

According to the chairman of the Congress of Jewish Religious Communities and Organizations of Russia, Zinovy Kogan, when freedom comes, justice raises up. When a civil society is born, enormous number of political movements and parties of various directions appear, including anti-religious and nationalistic parties. Kogan hopes that moral values will be the most important thing for everyone. Representatives of traditional religious have positive experience of the dialogue within the Interreligious Council of Russia in the sphere of social and peacemaking projects not only in Russia, but in the whole CIs. According to Kogan, in the context of the political fight of “everybody against everybody” existence of Russian statehood might be threatened. That is why the party, which would promote peaceful discussion and state unity, is needed. Such party could provide interests of all confessional and ethnic groups of Russia. Kogan suggested calling it Interreligious and Inter-ethnic Dialogue.

The deputy chairman of the Mufti Council of Russia, Farid Asadullin, said that at the moment establishing of any purely religious or ethnic parties will be provocative. “Today it is important to improve interreligious and inter-ethnic dialogue. I do not take it serious when establishing of religious parties is discussed. I think theoretically we can discuss it, but the law forbids foundation of such parties,” Asadullin said.

However, the leader of Russian Christian Democratic Movement, Viktor Aksichits, said that today Russia needs a Christian party, and it exists in fact. In 1990 Russian Christian Movement was registered as a political party. It entered the parliament and influenced adoption of many laws. In the Soviet Union due to the initiative of this party the reform of relations between the state and Church was conducted, the Council on Religious Affairs was canceled, as well as the policy of atheism. However, after developments of 1993 financing of the party stopped, and then it was forbidden. But the Christian Democratic Movement still exists informally. According to the leader of the movement, it unites people of a common state of mind.

The deputy chairman of the Christian movement Honorable Russia, Sergey Mezentsev, said that the notion “Christian democracy” shouldn’t exist in the Russian policy, as it appeared in Catholic environment. Moreover, Russia is a multinational and multiconfessional country, and appearance of purely Orthodoz or Muslim parties might lead to dissolution of the country.