Press Sees Putin’s Shadow Over Medvedev

Russia’s newspapers are largely supportive of Dmitry Medvedev’s nomination as a candidate for next year’s presidential elections.

But many columnists predict he will struggle to assert himself even if he is elected president, with the current incumbent, Vladimir Putin, expected to retain a firm grip on power.

Editorial in business daily VEDOMOSTI

Medvedev as successor is the best compromise for Putin’s diverse entourage, he is odds-on as a presidential candidate, and most importantly, he leaves Putin maximum space for manoeuvre… Medvedev was chosen not because of his success, popularity or strong position in the government. The former head of the presidential administration was chosen as the man who is, at first sight, the weakest possible candidate.

Valentina Kudrikova in left-leaning TRUD

Medvedev is seen as relatively liberal: the focal point of his speech at the economic forum in Davos in January 2007 was the idea of the Kremlin’s devotion to democracy and a market economy… The two factors against Medvedev are obvious – his shortage of political experience and lack of stateliness: at 162 cm, he is one of the few Russian officials who is shorter than Putin.

Alexander Gamov in popular pro-Kremlin tabloid KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA

Dmitry Medvedev – out of all the high-ranking people in the political elite – is the most acceptable figure, in terms of the tasks that the present head of state may assign him.

Andrei Lavrov in GAZETA

Medvedev’s candidacy will suit the West: he is considered to be the leader of the liberal bloc in the Kremlin… The people that worked with Medvedev note such qualities as self-organisation, single-mindedness, the ability to think unconventionally… Putin may keep control over the country while Medvedev is president.

Alexander Budberg and Konstantin Novikov in popular daily MOSKOVSKY KOMSOMOLETS

Dmitry Medvedev is objectively the best possible option… Anyone who has seen his work over the past 18 months cannot but admit the fact that he is thoughtful, can conduct meetings and deeply understands the nature of the assigned national projects. But the main thing which he has demonstrated – and which is why he won, I’m sure – is honesty.

Ksenia Veretennikova in liberal daily VREMYA NOVOSTEY

Dmitry Medvedev will be elected Russia’s third president on 2 March 2008. And many are sure that he’ll win the elections in the first round. Now there’s just one missing chain in the Putin plan: the place that the author of the plan will assume in Russia’s political system after the presidential elections. It’s that chain specifically which will determine the strength of the successor’s presidency as well as the configuration of power.

Yekaterina Grigoryeva in Gazprom-owned IZVESTIYA

Possible assessments of the choice of successor by global elites are not the least important concern and, in this respect, Putin has actually made a win-win move… Medvedev faces the prospect of ‘softening’ Russia’s foreign policy. This will clearly help him to establish contacts in the international arena.

Tatyana Stanovaya on the POLITKOM.RU website

It is still not entirely clear what Putin will be and how ready he is to grant his successor freedom of choice in making vitally important decisions. However, we may predict with a high degree of probability that, under Medvedev, Putin will retain the role of co- manager and teacher, who does not aspire to making decisions for his pupil.

Editorial on the GAZETA.RU website, often critical of the Kremlin

Dmitry Medvedev was one of the very small “pool of successors” from the outset. Broadly speaking, if you do not count Putin himself, Medvedev’s only rival in the ratings was the other first deputy prime minister, Sergei Ivanov. In the autumn of this year, after the unexpected appointment of Viktor Zubkov as prime minister, Medvedev’s and Ivanov’s chances seemed to decline. However, today’s events show that this was only a cover-up operation of the kind that is popular in the Kremlin.

Originally published by BBC Monitoring research 11 Dec 07.

(c) 2007 BBC Monitoring Newsfile. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.