At the end of last week have reached the 10th anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s rise up as leadership position at the Kremlin and in policy of the world. From his appointment as prime minister (8 August 1999), Russia experienced a sinuous evolution from the unstable and semi-democratic state to sovereign democracy of today. Thus, between two working visits, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has celebrated the anniversary of ten years of successful political career through a new series of photos worthy of a pictorial in FHM. Unfortunately, for a country at the sinister top of deaths caused by heart disease or AIDS, that the Premier is in excellent physical form does not constitute a solution to problems of health system that the Russian Government tries without much success to solve. But that is another discussion altogether.
Returning to the “putinist decade” in post-Soviet history, of the popularity of Vladimir Putin is due to the fact that, beyond constantly propaganda efforts, most Russians agree that after the “nightmare” during Elţîn time, in the “Putin Era” their life improved. In reality, improving socio-economic position of the middle class and ensuring the “survival threshold” for one third of the population was the interface behind that huge resources of Russia have been redistributed from oligarchies “evil” to the “good” and close new political structure. This aspect that made also tolerable and acceptable reduction the rights of citizens. Which, in turn, allowed the political system reform in accordance with their interests, without major obstacles from the opposition groups (now almost entirely reduced to silence). Despite Western concerns about democracy and human rights, Putin remains wildly popular and his power goes effectively unchallenged.
Russia’s post-Soviet downward slide has been slowed, if not reversed, since 2000 by President Vladimir Putin’s recentralization of power. But, beetwen re-painted declarative ideology, sketch by Vladislav Surkov & comp., and ideology practical for preferential sharing of the wealth of Russia discrepancies have become increasingly visible in time. And as ironic of destiny, the government of Prime Minister Putin was in a delicate position because the current economic crisis stressed how malignancy has been the stagnation of reforms, stagnation patronage of Vladimir Putin in time as was president. Since 2003, the Kremlin has aggressively reconsolidated state control over its energy sector, and has demonstrated an increasing willingness to use energy as a tool to manipulate the behavior of the states that depend on it. It became clear what economic analysts have observed much ago: an economy based mostly on the export of raw materials, particularly fuel, is a giant with feet of clay. And when it signs of collapse is difficult recovered in a bureaucratic system in which the power decision is ultracentralizate. In addition, the annihilation of political competition and limiting the rights of the press have deprived Vladimir Putin of a essential fact: information nuda, real,without makeup so necessary to decide learnedly. Thus the stability preached of the ideologies’s Kremlin, turns out to be, paradoxically, a neuralgia point of “Putin Era.” Overall, the power vertical system is fragile and mediocre worked. As for the future, the ideologist of Putin Doctrine have to working. Theoretically, Russia must exceed the economic crisis until the next presidential election. If you will happen or not remains to be seen.
In foreign policy, Russia was able to return to the great mass of decision makers in the world and make allies of basic on international stage (Italy, Germany, France). Moreover, strengthening the sphere of influence in the Asian and re-opening partnerships with Latin America and Africa have gone unnoticed partly because heated discussions among EU supporters of Russian Prime Minister and his opponents, following the repeated crises of gas generated by Russia and Ukraine. The way in which Russian officials have directed capital to areas where Russia has interests in the long term, the close relations between Kremlin and the Russian companies with large investments abroad, also how they have sought to gain political and mass-media influence in the “adoptive” country demonstrates good coordination between economic policy and external. Instead, the steep ups and downs, Russia has registered with the U.S. relationship, and the default with NATO, which was expected as a result of Russia revival globally. Overall, slightly better than domestic plan.
In competition with 10-year anniversary of the “Putin Era”, the top posts of Blogosphera was in those days the first anniversary of the Russia-Georgia war. On this occasion, the Russian Premier avoided to avoided with certainly the possibility of a new intervention, stating instead his hope that Georgian authorities have learned the lesson and that the situation will continue to be stable. But he is contradicts to the recent press release of the Russian ambassador in Bucharest, HE Alexander Churilin: “At the border between South Ossetia and Georgia again smell of a powder”. Also the two movies recently sent to the romanian press from Embassies of Russia and Georgia in Bucharest, in that the two parties accuse each other of the terrible tragedies of immortalized by the eye of video camera, are most handy evidence that media war continues, tensions accumulate steadily and situation is far from being considered definitively resolved. 
In bird’s-eye view, Russia is a country located in the top of contrasts and controversy. A huge expanse, with resources as huge, and ever more regions where the Russian population is a population minority. With regions where poverty and lack of perspective is at her home. Putin’s Russia is another. Much glamour, expensive cars and luxurious offices of the top companies. And much, much propaganda. Maybe it’s time as loyal advisers of Vladimir Vladimirovich to tell him that “Putin’s Russia” is becoming more in the eyes of russian people only Moscow and St. Petersburg. Despair of Russia and the problems (normal, in fact) of Russia’s Putin are two different agendas.
Published in Top Business Weeklypaper, no. 778/ 13-19 august 2009
“I vividly remember that day a year ago. How probably all, all of us remember. We all waited for the opening of the Olympics but the Olympics have stolen. And the war began. Couldn’t believe it. Or, I think just not wanted to believe. It seemed so stupid, illogical, strange. It was impossible to imagine that Georgia, a sister republic, whose people have lived so many centuries with us side by side, fought together, shared together the joys and sorrows, suddenly, through its official leaders undertake an act of aggression and start to bomb and shoot from heavy artillery, hail on brother Orthodox Ossetic people.
gabrielaionita
