VLADIMIR PUTIN’S ANSWERS WERE DELIBERATELY NON-POLITICAL
Premier Vladimir Putin’s press conference was a means of telling the people that he did not intend to jump the ship during the crisis.
By and large, Vladimir Putin’s answers were deliberately non-political just like at the United Russia convention a short while ago when he had concentrated on the crisis and demonstrated understanding of the problems the country was facing. Yesterday, Putin talked to the people as the premier focused on economic matters.
Putin was quite laconic whenever a political question was asked, even when questions concerned United Russia. Speaking of the ruling party, he emphasized its functionality. During crises, the parliamentary majority enabled the government to rapidly respond to “situations”. And yet, the speed with which the Duma makes decisions is not an absolute value in itself. This mechanism may be efficient from the standpoint of decision-making but that does not guarantee proper quality of the decisions. That was probably why the premier emphasized significance of the multi-party system which he called “a vitally important element of democratic institutions.”
The premier’s answers were even more compressed whenever he talked of foreign political affairs. In fact, his answers proved sovereignty and inviolability of President Dmitry Medvedev’s prerogatives. Putin was quite careful to stick to his own tasks.
Putin did say that Moscow “counted” on positive changes in the relations with the United States. He even enumerated what he called “signals” received from Washington – America was no longer in a hurry to accept Ukraine and Georgia in NATO or build a radar in Poland.
Putin said that Moscow was aware of the changes taking place in Washington but made it absolutely clear that Russia’s response to it was something he left to the president.
Putin’s press conference yesterday was a means of instilling serenity in the population. He wanted the people to know that he had no plans to jump the ship in the crisis.
