OPINIE: The future of the Putin-Medvedev dream team

Many analysts still have conflicting emotions about the Putin-Medvedev dream team. They are concerned about the division of power inside this political tandem. Top-ranking officers are led astray when the real threat of dual power appears. It is not clear who will personify the political centre.

Also average citizens are a little bit at a loss. According to an opinion poll held on February 21 by the Kommersant magazine, 37% of the pollees were in favor of the idea of Putin playing the first violin after the elections. Only 22% were in favor of Medvedev to do so and only 18% put up with the dual power formula. So more than a third of Russian people admit premier Putin’s superiority over Medvedev as a President.

Frankly speaking, for average Russian citizens the problems of inflation, demographic crisis, growth of unemployment in the regions and many other issues are more important than the distribution of power. The situation in Russia has become more or less unswerving, which is certainly the contribution of the last 8 years. And of course, people seek for economic and social stability that is now associated with Putin and his reforms.

Russia can’t afford to let down the institution of president, as its image as a powerful state with an «authoritarian» leader made other countries respect it.
This is evident, taking into account the recent foreign leaders’ comments on Russian elections.

The official Russian News and Information Agency (Novosti) reports that US officials look forward to start working with the new Russian leader, even in spite of the critical assessment of the Russian presidential elections. Just as the French leader considers Medvedev’s victory more than a clear-cut one. Moreover, French president Nicolas Sarcozy sent a formal invitation to Medvedev to make an official visit to France in his new position of president.

Germany -together with a number of European countries- thinks that the Russian elections don’t fulfill the requirements of a democracy. But in spite of that fact, Angela Merkel looks forward to start working with the new Russian leader. No doubts, heads of states and governments are ready to cooperate with Medvedev. But the question now is whether he will manage to keep up with the high standard set up by his predecessor. For sure it will be a great challenge for the new Russian president.

Kremlin image-makers noticed that Medvedev tries to imitate Putin’s pitch of  voice, behavior pattern and way of walking. Of course, that is not a reason to give up hope about the more liberal course of Medvedev, which sounds more than attractive for the West.
For me, as a journalist and a citizen of such a powerful state, it really doesn’t matter who will take decisions and represent Russia on the international scene. What is important, is to conserve and increase everything positive that has been reached so far.

Time will show whether Medvedev will become self-dependent and whether he will manage to keep the balance of interests inside his own political team. This ability, together with people’s love, is more than a resource or a position that can be conveyed.