Resolution by the Federal Council of Yabloko, adopted by the Federal Council on 30.11.2024, published on 6.12.2024

Photo: Meeting of the Federal Council on 30 November, 2024 / Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

The Federal Council of the party supports Decision by the Federal Political Committee of Yabloko No. 189, dated 21 November, 2024, and believes that the political mission and the practical goal of the Yabloko Party has always been the desire to form a modern, socially-oriented vector of development in Russia based on human rights and freedoms, and on democratic institutions. The Party has always been distinguished by serious scientifically based analysis and strategic understanding of the situation, both in Russia and in the world.

An important tool for implementing the practical tasks corresponding to this mission was participation in elections. Deputies from Yabloko, despite being in the opposition, have made and continue to make a professional liberal democratic contribution to Russian legislation.

However, the 2000s marked a fundamental change in the external conditions for the Party. As the authoritarian regime strengthened, increasingly developing into a totalitarian phase, Yabloko became an increasingly inconvenient political force for the authorities. Hence the actual ban on the party’s participation in elections at all levels, repressions against its members (administrative and criminal prosecution, including imprisonment on fabricated charges, labeling as a “foreign agent” and deprivation of civil rights, etc.).

Despite the actual absence of real elections in Russia at the present time, falsifications and manipulations, and absurd rules – our Party should not refuse to participate in elections. Yabloko continues to participate in the current “election procedures”, understanding that even the remaining forms of election campaigning allow the Party to promote its fundamental positions in society. Conducting election campaigns under the slogan “For Peace and Freedom” is of particular importance in the current conditions.

Along with the ongoing transformation of the Russian political regime from authoritarian to totalitarian, part of society, primarily young educated residents of large cities, has a request for the formation of a different image of the country’s future. People want to look into the “tomorrow” of their own lives. As long as events in the special military operation zone have been unfolding, the number of such people has been gradually increasing. The Yabloko Party can and should offer people answers and serious food for thought in contrast to the current propaganda and obscurantism, including on the Internet, and provide a field for action.

The Federal Council of the Party considers it necessary to continue and expand targeted intellectual activity on key political and social topics that are important for the future of the country. Such work is possible in the form of schools, video seminars, conferences, discussions, and round tables. Openness to analysis and discussion of the political perspective, and turning the Yabloko Party into a centre of intellectual activity will help create a growing community of potential supporters and voters around the Party, and will become a significant contribution to the development of today’s extremely weak civil society.

An important objective of the Party is to form a new intellectual, moral, ideological and political elite. The current elite has led the world to chaos and bloodshed – it is necessary to form a new Russian elite. For this, the Party has ideas, an idea of ​​the future, a reputation, a structure, people, traditions and, most importantly, citizens who have trusted us for many years.

Today, the main goal of the Party is to achieve a ceasefire. Public awareness campaigns are especially important in order to advance towards strategic goals, gain the support of the majority of citizens in the future Russia and, on this basis, struggle for power. At the current stage, conducting public awareness campaigns should become one of the main meanings of the Party’s existence. Moving away from ochlocracy is one of the key tasks of the Party.

Party members working in the intellectual sphere should not waste time in the current conditions on momentary trifles, not strive to please everyone at once and, most importantly, not flirt with those who have not understood the historical lesson and continue to justify the deeply erroneous reforms of the 1990s that led to the current state of affairs in Russia.

The work in this direction will result in formulation of proposals that will be included in the programme for further, fundamentally new development of the country, with which the Party will go to the federal elections.

Nikolai Rybakov,

Yabloko Party Chairman