Press release, Video, 28 February 2016

Politician and economist Grigory Yavlinsky, who was officially announced presidential candidate from YABLOKO by the party Congress on 28 February, delivered his keynote speech. He stressed that frustration and apathy of people in the future were a rival as serious as Vladimir Putin and his system. According to Yavlinsky, the reason for this is that people with their basic needs and interests were never in the focus of the state policy. Yavlinsky announced that his goal would be to conduct reforms for the majority, and the national idea would be respect for a person.

Yavlinsky said that the main feeling people had was that of a dead end, and the main threat was that the country lost its historical perspective. Due to the situation on the oil markets Russia had been rich as never before in its history, but that money was spent on ‘window dressing’ and showing off: “prestigious events, prestigious construction projects, and purchase of the so-called geopolitical allies”. Yavlinsky noted that now huge resources were spent on weapons, though in the long run a strong army would be impossible without a strong economy.

According to Yavlinsky, the country faces the question what to do next: either engage in geopolitical adventurism and maneuvering or make a choice in favour of the country development and modernization, and it is impossible to combine both. “To act like a superpower, one has to be such. And it is impossible with the economy we have in our country today,” he stressed.

Yavlinsky said that the programme of economic reforms was quite obvious, such programmes were implemented in many countries, it was not necessary to reinvent the wheel. But the problem was whether it was possible to implement the programme if people did not believe in anything.

“Today our main obstacle in development is not even Putin and his system, but apathy [of the people]. Apathy and lack of faith. And this political apathy is the enemy no less serious than those who sit in the Kremlin and in the Duma. Because when the majority in the country is lethargic, it is marginalised people who begin to rule the day, create and dictate the agenda,” Yavlinsky said.

Yavlinsky stressed that the situation in the country turned out to be such not because of external enemies or the notorious “Russian way”, but because the reforms and changes in the country had not been planned for and carried out in favour of the people. They were made “in order [first] to build socialism, [then] to build capitalism and the market economy, create an energy superpower for some unknown reason, support and win East Ukraine, so that the Kremlin would be respected in the world and feared [by all] – the reforms and policies were carried out for anything, except for the citizens of the country”. The purpose and the task of Yavlinsky as President would be to conduct reforms for the majority.

Grigory Yavlinsky also said that “the only true national idea for Russia” would be “respect for a person”. “This is a true and clear formula of the European way of development and the European dream for Russia.”

To realize this and to convince the country of this would mean conducting a reform comparable to the abolition of serfdom, Yavlinsky stressed.

Yavlinsky noted that his main ally in the movement towards realization of this dream was the people of Russia. “I believe in my people. Our common goal is to create a country where people would respect themselves and others, and are able to be happy without breaking the laws, but observing the laws, can vest hopes in the future and believe in it, and have protection [from the state],” he said.

Yavlinsky also quoted the words of Andrei Sakharov, saying that he would not immediately make a fair trial, stop the rise in prices and a decrease in salaries, solve all national problems, but he would form political guarantees for solving these problems.

At the end of his speech, YABLOKO presidential candidate said, “I choose freedom – the freedom to do what is necessary for my country, the freedom for everyone to be his true self. And you should know: I am not alone in this.”