Putin finally chose his successor, the Russians, who were both happy and sorry.
On December 11th, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev participated in a live TV program in the capital Moscow. Medvedev said that if he wins the Russian presidential election in 2008, he will ask Putin to be the prime minister of the Russian government. Xinhua News Agency/Reuters
Russians are both happy and sorry.
The Russian media generally expressed optimism about Medvedev’s election prospects. The Russian Morning Post commented that it is a reasonable step for Putin to elect Medvedev. Russians are most familiar with this candidate, and he has made some achievements in developing the national plan in recent years and is very close to the people. The Morning Post also said that Medvedev is an acceptable candidate for Democrats. And in the eyes of the west, he is also acceptable. The west believes that it can continue to cooperate with Moscow at the most critical moment in the future. Another factor for Putin to choose him is that Medvedev is a literati, and he is well aware of the contradictions in Russian society, which is conducive to strengthening the unity of various social forces, especially with the radical forces of the Russian right. Russia’s "Daily Business Daily" reported on the 10th that experts said that Putin elected Medvedev as a candidate for the following main purposes: First, he is a well-known person. Second, he is someone that President Putin can trust. Third, he is the best candidate for Putin. Although Putin will leave the presidency in the future, he can continue to control the political situation of the country.
"Our (presidential) candidate will be recognized by most voters," said Gryzlov, chairman of the United Russia Party. "I hope our candidate can get wide support and win in the first round." "We will vote for Medvedev because we support Putin." Yana, who is in her 60 s, told reporters who interviewed her on the street.
Because Putin has identified Medvedev as his successor, this has also made some Russians’ desire to continue Putin’s re-election completely frustrated. Therefore, the issue of Putin’s official "birthright" in the future has also become the focus of Russian media attention on the 10th. Just a few days ago, the Kremlin denied the report that Putin would become the leader of the Russian-Belarusian alliance. Moscow Echo Radio previously quoted Belarusian government sources as saying that Putin will be the leader of the Russian-Belarusian alliance and Belarusian President Lukashenko will be the speaker. There are various versions of Putin’s future direction circulating in Russian political circles, such as "Prime Minister’s Statement" and "Duma Chairman’s Statement", but they are not clear. Gryzlov, chairman of the United Russia Party, said: "Putin is our national leader. No matter what he will do after the presidential election, he will still be the leader of our nation."
Putin weighed the results of many factors.
"As long as Putin publicly supports Medvedev, it is basically certain that the next Russian president will be Medvedev." Xia Yishan, a Russian expert at China Institute of International Studies, said in an interview with Global Times. Putin’s support rate in Russia is as high as over 70%. As long as he appoints a successor, the Russian people will generally support it. Xia Yishan said that unlike western society, Russia has its own unique social and cultural tradition, that is, they trust their leaders. From the Russian era to the Soviet era, and even to the present, this social tradition of Russians has not changed much. They believe that the correctness of national leaders’ thinking and line is extremely important to the development of the country. This kind of psychology is not imposed by anyone, but spontaneous and sincere. This is also extremely incomprehensible to westerners.
"Choosing Medvedev should be the result of Putin weighing all aspects." Xia Yishan said that Putin once said that his next president must be a strong president. Putin will not choose a weak president, he will not choose an old president, nor will he choose a transitional president. He chose a 42-year-old strong president. In addition, Medvedev is more proficient in internal affairs and economy. It is not ruled out that Putin has such a consideration. Using such a person who is neither from the military nor from the security department as president will help Russia deal with the West and ease the doubts of the West about Russian hardliners.
Putin’s choice of successor coincided with the tension between the West and Russia. "Putin’s foreign policy toward the West is determined by Russia’s national interests. Even if Medvedev comes to power, it will not change this policy. " Xia Yishan said that Russia’s foreign policy is not determined by anyone’s personal will, but by Russia’s national interests. Both Yeltsin and Putin tried to approach the west in the early days of their administration, but the weakening and restricting policies of the United States and other countries towards Russia have not changed. In terms of internal affairs, they continue to support Russian domestic opposition and urge Russia to take the western "democratic road"; On the diplomatic front, it continues to limit Russia’s influence in the former Soviet Union. Putin sees all this very clearly, and he has already abandoned his illusions about the West. Xia Yishan said that Medvedev will not fundamentally adjust Putin’s foreign policy, but will only work hard in the general direction set by Putin, that is, to make Russia an influential and powerful country with a voice in the international arena. (Special correspondent in Russia Song Ya Global Times reporter Xie Yubin Shi Hua Duan Congcong Wang Li Liu Zhi)
Editor: Li Xiuwei