Press Release, 18.02.2015

YABLOKO Political Committee believes that the present Russia’s regime of peripheral authoritarianism is turning into national-imperial neo-Bolshevism. The key element to this development has been inadequate foreign policies. The main slogan of the democratic opposition in these conditions must be the demand to stop interfering into Ukraine’s affairs.

Also recently YABLOKO Political Party has adopted a statement submitted by the party founder Dr. Grigory Yavlinsky. The statement provides a tough assessment to the situation in the country and proposes tactical and strategic measures to correct it.

Aggressive foreign policies, deepening economic crisis and rising pseudo-patriotic hysteria in the domestic policies lead to the transfer of the present regime of peripheral authoritarianism to the national-imperial neo-Bolshevism, runs the statement. In terms of the historical development of the country this regime “is oriented on the marginal theories, absurdly mythologised view of the past and unrealistic vision of the future.”

“The annexation of Crimea and brutal (armed) intervention into the affairs of Ukraine are the roots of the deepening economic crisis and sharp deterioration in the well-being of Russian citizens.” The problem has already become deeper than the personality of Vladimir Putin and his regime. “The Russia’s conflict with the West has been growing into a tough antagonistic confrontation, when the historical prospects of the country, rather than merely political and economic interests are at stake.” (This topic is elaborated in Grigory Yavlinsky’s article published in Russian by Novaya Gazeta in early February  and at YABLOKO web-site in English, as well as in the Spanish by El Pais).

Despite the reprisals YABLOKO believes that it is important to state a clear and unambiguous position of the on behalf of those who maintains the common sense, has the courage to speak out against the government and is ready to take responsibility for the future of the country:

The key slogan of the Russian democratic opposition must be stop of interference into the affairs of Ukraine and cease of fighting on its territory. “Implementation of this task is entirely in the competence of Russia’s political leadership,” runs the document. This demand must not be diluted and dissolved in a long list of demands put forward by the people to the authorities.

YABLOKO also states that views the Minsk Agreements with “cautious hope”, however, the party is certain that these agreements can not have a long-term effect without a fundamental change in Russia’s foreign policies. Russia’s convening of an international conference on Crimea (such an initiative was proposed by YABLOKO in March 2014 ) will represent a step towards changing the foreign policies and strengthening of the Minsk Agreements, and there will be no changes in the economy without this. However, YABLOKO goes on insisting on the formation of a “professional responsible government capable of implementing measures to rescue the economy and mitigate the impact of the blows the economy encounters due to the deepening crisis.”

YABLOKO completely rules out any possibility of even a tactical alliance with all the political forces supporting the war, including the “parliamentary” parties [the ruling United Russia, a Just Russia, Zhirinovsky’s party and CPRF], as well as other National Bolsheviks, the Stalinists, communists and imperial nationalists.

According to the Political Committee, the programme for overcoming the legacy of Bolshevism and Stalinsm in Russia should become a platform for joining together of all the sound political and public forces. An Anti-Bolshevik political agreement will be the starting point for new Russian policies: public, competitive, European and reflecting the interests of the society.

YABLOKO also states that its strategic goal is convening in the projected historical perspective of the Constituent Assembly of Russia of the 21st century which will have the tasks of “restoration of historical continuity with pre-Bolshevik Russia through convening and founding on this basis of a state of responsible citizens, whose core values will be freedom, law, private property and social solidarity.”