On June 28, 2011, a round table of the consultative
working group of the Commission under the President of Russian
Federation for modernisation and technological development
of Russia’s economy was held in the Moscow region.
The Commission was established by Russian President Dmitry
Medvedev for development of state policies and coordination
of the state power bodies and the expert community in the
field of modernisation and technological development of Russia.
The working group is headed by Russian renowned economist
Alexander Auzan and includes representatives from six political
parties. YABLOKO is represented by Alexei Arbatov, member
of YABLOKO’s Political Committee and head of the International
Security Centre of the Institute of the World Economy and
International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Four political parties presented their views of modernisation
and the task of innovative development there.
Ivan Bolshakov, member of YABLOKO’s Federal Council, made
a speech about YABLOKO’s view of modernisation and the factors
hampering this process and also answered journalists’ questions.
It turned out that Bolshakov was the only representative
of a political party who criticized the present Russia’s political
system and called to its modernisation.
“Conducting modernisation via technological stimulation of
Russia’s economy is obviously inefficient, this should include
institutional transformation of the whole system, including
political, economic, social and socio-cultural spheres,” Bolshakov
stressed. “If this does not happen, we shall be left with
the archaic authoritarian political system which puts Russia
in line with backward countries and failing states,” he added.
Bolshakov also told the audience about YABLOKO’s programmes
Housing-Roads-Land and Overcoming Stalinism as a Condition
for Russia’s Modernisation and proposals of anticorruption
measures and liquidation of the oligarchic system.
Representatives of other parties – MPs from the Communist
Party and the Just Russia – dared to criticise only the deplorable
state of the remnants of the Soviet industry and proposed
to strengthen the role of the state in the economy and innovations.
A representative from the Patriots of Russia completely supported
the “energetic and serious modernisation from the top” initiated
by the Russian President and suggested that Russia should
employ the experience of the “communist modernisation” of
1920-1930s.
The round table was organised jointly with the Regional Journalists
Club and about 60 journalists were present there.
See also:
Modernisation
in Russia
|
