Who’s progressive and who’s retrograde?

By VK

Both partisans and opponents of the current Russian authorities took to the streets of Russian cities and towns on February 4. After a few days the civic movement ‘The Rest of Russia’ and the public council ‘Fair Choice’ organized and considered the results and possible consequences of this developing demonstration movement. 

The head of the Political and Economic Communications Agency Dmity Orlov said that the Russian Public Chamber and different public councils under Ministries still have a long way to go till they become a real instrument of popular control over the authorities. However, the very fact that this issue was included in Putin’s pre-election agenda is very significant, according to the expert. “Today I see only three possible ways for Russia’s political system to develop. The first one involves spontaneous and uncontrollable changes; this way would be a direct consequence of the increasing demonstration activity. I don’t believe that rallies can promote any political changes that would result in the real participation of society in state affairs, in the establishment of civic control over the administration. It could serve only to draw public attention to existing problems, but it can’t resolve them. I don’t believe that pro-authority actions like the Poklonnaya one would lead to any positive results either. 

The second way is the way of changes introduced from above. We’ve observed such actions by Medvedev’s administration. In this case the procedure of wide civic approval is often omitted or extremely formalized. 

But there is another way. It involves the steady development of the civic society institutions. This is the way that the “Rest of Russia” proposes. In my opinion, this is the way that Vladimir Putin supports recently. Today we have to create real contact between the active civic society and the government instead of formal and inert ‘public chambers’ and ‘public councils’. This model of ‘democracy of lesser deeds’ is ideal, as it could help establish dialogue between the people and the authorities on all levels, from municipal to federal. It is also the way that enjoys the widest support among the people.

The “Rest of Russia’s” organizing committee coordinator, Igor Ryabov, said that the movement doesn’t have a uniform attitude towards participation or organization of demonstrations, as it is not a centralized party, but an organization that includes different civic groups. “But still we think that demonstrations can’t resolve all existing problems.” He also said that he hopes Vladimir Putin’s acceptance of the organization’s program isn’t a mere pre-election move, but a serious intention. 

“So does the state have to help the civic society, or should it merely get out of its way? I think that in our case some problems, such as reorganization of inefficient public chambers, could be resolved only with the direct participation of the President.” Ryabov also pointed out that the level of aggression on both sides – pro-Putin and oppositionist – is going off-scale and becoming dangerous, so it is really an urgent task to establish civic consensus. 

The head of the editorial board of ‘Izvestiya’ newspaper, Vladimir Mamontov, told the journalists that he went to the Poklonnaya demonstration. “Yes, the people on Bolotnaya are generally deemed to be more intelligent, more progressive, but I had no desire to go there. I didn’t notice any aggression on Poklonnaya (apart from some addresses made from the rostrum), there were no offensive slogans or posters, which are commonplace on Bolotnaya-like demonstrations. Those who came to support the authorities on Poklonnaya, for the most part, are solid citizens with a sense of self-dignity. So time is yet to show who’s really progressive and who’s retrograde.