Kudrin Looks Happy!
I watched the start of what we in America call a lame duck president. The minute that Medvedev supported Putin in the Next presidential election, he had to have known that his power would falter and sputter. I think that is why they waited so long to announce the facts of what they were doing. The Finance Misister Kudrin had this to say:
Putin, who announced his presidency bid at a United Russia pre-election convention, indicated that Medvedev would succeed him as prime minister to supervise post-election modernization reforms.
But Kudrin threatened to resign after the presidential election in March.
“I will definitely refuse,” Kudrin, 50, said when asked whether he would join Medvedev’s government. He spoke in Washington at a World Bank meeting.
“I have many disagreements with Medvedev on economic policy, first of all concerning the significant military spending,” said Kudrin, who is widely seen as the architect of Russia’s economic stability in the 2000s. Read More
Okay! That caught a few off guard around Russia. Kudrin made it clear that he will follow Putin’s lead, but when it comes to Medvedev, Forget It!
I expect to see a wave of important people stop swooning over Medvedev now. Over the years I have watched presidents in America lose that ability (become a lame duck) to get anything done. They become byproducts of a system and unless they command real respect from the beginning then they get none in return…
This weekend it became very clear to the Russian population that Putin as we all suspected never really let go of the reins of Russia. Yes Putin did (as I stated in several articles), allow Medvedev to try to step out on his own. But that stepping out was always centered on international issues. The internal affairs of Russia were held in an iron grip by Putin…
I remember Medvedev firing the last Moscow mayor. I remember the bad decision on the Libyan UN vote. I remember the education reform bill. I remember many issues that I wrote articles about and I said that Medvedev hung himself by his actions. His actions were his true reactions to the situation and not his reaction for his political career. Many things that Medvedev has done have made him very unpopular. He has seemed weak at times and naive. He enacted things that would destroy a long term president, such as alcohol, bribery and tobacco control. He could get such things going and now Putin can continue such motions and not take the fall. Now it all make sense because he was a man who knew he did not have to run again for president…
I remember in particular that I realized that Putin was behind the old Mayors firing when the new mayor was
It is strange but I see a different Medvedev now after this announcement for Putin. I myself realize that my old ingrained ideologies about what a leader should be like overruled what I should have been picking upon. I was not alone in this happening. Russia looked upon Medvedev as a great guy but…
This has given Putin the opportunity of a lifetime for a leader. Putin has so many aces up his sleeves now that Medvedev has planted all the seeds. If Putin removes a bad seed in people eyes then he looks good to the people. If Putin lets a seed grow and it becomes a wonderful tree that everyone loves. Then he looks good. If Putin has to keep a bad seed then he always has Medvedev to take the blame for that bad seed. But if Putin prunes and takes care on the growing of the seeds that Medvedev planted then everyone comes out ahead…
I know that I kinda wandered from the branch, so to speak! But the Kudrin reaction was just the first of many that will be expressed in Russia. The only problem is that Kudrin expressed his reaction in America while at a World Bank meeting…
We will see the long term repercussions to that slip of a Kudrin tongue…
Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia!
Related articles
- Kudrin’s further work depends on his future employer (news.windowstorussia.com)
- Lets Swap: Putin Runs for President and Medvedev for Prime Minister… (windowstorussia.com)
- Putin Blues by Western media (news.windowstorussia.com)