Political positions of Grigory Yavlinsky

Last updated

Grigory Yavlinsky, a former member of the State Duma, leader of the Yabloko political party, and three-time Russian presidential candidate, has taken positions on many political issues through his public comments, his presidential campaign statements, and his voting record.

Contents

In regards to social issues, Yavlinsky has occupied the centre-left. [1] In terms of economic issues, Yavlinksy occupied the centre-right of the Russian political spectrum. His ideology most strongly appealed to Russia's population of young intellectuals. [2] His politics can be classified as liberal-democratic. [3]

Domestic policy

Government reform

Yavlinsky had opposed Yeltsin's 1993 constitution, as he believed it restructured the government to have a far too authoritarian executive branch. [4] Yavlinsky opposed reductions if civil freedoms, and stood in strong opposition to the establishment of an authoritarian leadership. [3]

Yavlinsky has advocated undertaking a campaign to remove corruption in government. [3]

He has asserted that the judiciary of Russia should be made genuinely independent. [5]

Economic policy

During the 1995 legislative and 1996 presidential elections, Yavlinsky promised economic relief for the middle class that was neglected during Yeltsin's economic reforms. [6] At this time, Yavlinsky described the sort of individual that he believed might be drawn to Yabloko's platform by saying,

"We appeal, in the first place, to those who have suffered the most from the reforms, however, have not lost the faith and believe that there exists a way out of the current predicament. We appeal to the middle class, primarily to those who receive their wages from the state budget. [4]

Yavlinsky long had been a figure who supported democratic and free market reforms, but opposed the course of actions which Yeltsin's regime had taken to implement reforms. [7] [4] Yabloko's economic platform sought to focus on a different order of priorities than both Yeltsin's regime and other democratic opposition parties had. Yavlinsky had declared,

As far as economic policy is concerned, the most important task for us is to create a single economical space embracing the entire CIS, to demonopolize the economy, to promote the development of a competitive medium, to make it so that proper ownership relations established in the country (in the sphere of land ownership first of all), to make it so that economic reforms develop from grass roots, not from top down. With regard to the majority of issues our colleagues (other democratic parties) suggest a different order of priorities. [4]

In the 1990s Yavlinsky advocated the creation of a flat tax. [3] He also advocated for a more transparent, responsible, and efficient budget policy. [3] He also argued that there was a need for policies aimed at supporting small and medium-sized businesses. [3]

Strengthening Russia's economy was one of the main focuses of Yavlinsky's 2018 campaign platform. [5] Yavlinsky stated that one of his main goals would be combating poverty. [8] He wants to give three acres of land for free to each Russian family so that they could build a home there and develop the land. [9]

Social policy

In regards to social issues, Yavlinsky has occupied the political left. [1]

When campaigning for the presidency in 1996, he aimed to honor government commitments to citizens' social security. [10]

He has advocated antidiscrimination protections for ethnic and religious minorities. [11]

Civil and human rights were key focuses of his 2018 campaign platform. [5]

Foreign policy

By 1995, in an effort to further differentiate themselves from Democratic Choice of Russia, Yabloko had begun to avoid explicitly presenting itself as a pro-Western party. [1]

Yavlinsky pursued a foreign policy guided by what he framed as "enlightened patriotism". [7]

Yavlinsky's did not support the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and believes that another referendum should be held in the disputed region, and that Russia should hold a conference with the United Nations and Ukraine to determine the status of the peninsula after recognizing the 2014 events as a violation of international law. [12] Yavlinsky essentially regards Crimea as part of Ukraine and stated the following: "Any form of forceful intervention in the internal affairs of Ukraine, as well as the incitement and propaganda of war should be stopped. Commitments to Ukraine's territorial integrity and respect by Russia of its international obligations should be declared at the highest state level." [13] Speaking at a televised debate in September 2016, Yavlinsky said he considers Russian actions in Ukraine to be an "absolute and complete disgrace". [13] In addition, he wants to withdraw all Russian forces from Syria, as well as take measures to normalize relations with the European Union and the United States, [5] as he considers Russia to be politically part of Europe. [8]

Yavlinsky believes that any escalation of tensions with North Korea and the possibility of a nuclear conflict there presents a major threat to Russia, and thus he did not support Donald Trump and his actions in regards to heightening tensions with North Korea in 2017. [14]

Military policy

Yavlinsky was strongly against the military conflict in Chechnya during both the First and Second Chechen Wars. [1] [15] [16] Unlike other major political parties in Russia, Yavlinsky's Yabloko had consistently opposed the Chechen War. [1] [17] This was a position that had often placed the party at odds with prevailing public sentiments. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Russian Federation</span> History of Russia after the dissolution of the USSR

The modern history of Russia began with the Russian Republic of the Soviet Union gaining more political and economical autonomy amidst the imminent dissolution of the USSR during 1988–1991, proclaiming its sovereignty inside the Union in June 1990, and electing its first President Boris Yeltsin a year later. The Russian SFSR was the largest republic of the Soviet Union, but it had no significant independence before, being the only Soviet republic to not have its own branch of the Communist Party.

The Russian United Democratic Party Yabloko is a social-liberal political party in Russia. The party consequently participated in the elections of deputies of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation of all eight convocations. Until 2003, Yabloko was represented by a faction in the State Duma and later until 2007 by individual deputies. In March 2002, the party became a full member of the Liberal International, and since November 1998, it had been in observer status. The founder of the party Grigory Yavlinsky is an honorary vice-president of the Liberal International and winner of its Prize for Freedom. Since 2006, Yabloko has been a member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE). As of 2021, the party was represented by factions in 4 regional parliaments of the Russian Federation. In addition, members of the party were deputies of 13 administrative centers of the subjects of the Russian Federation, 183 representatives of the party were municipal deputies in Moscow, 84 in Saint Petersburg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2000 Russian presidential election</span>

Presidential elections were held in Russia on 26 March 2000. Incumbent prime minister and acting president Vladimir Putin, who had succeeded Boris Yeltsin after his resignation on 31 December 1999, sought a four-year term in his own right and won in the first round.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikolai Ryzhkov</span> Russian politician (1929–2024)

Nikolai Ivanovich Ryzhkov was a Russian politician. He served as the last chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991 and was succeeded by Valentin Pavlov as prime minister. The same year, he lost his seat on the Presidential Council, going on to become Boris Yeltsin's leading opponent in the 1991 presidential election of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. He was the last surviving premier of the Soviet Union following the death of Ivan Silayev on 8 February 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grigory Yavlinsky</span> Russian politician and economist

Grigory Alekseyevich Yavlinsky is a Russian economist and politician. He has held numerous positions in the Soviet and Russian governments across different levels, including in the State Duma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union of Right Forces</span> Political party in Russia

The Union of Right Forces, was a Russian liberal-conservative political public organization and former party, initially founded as an electoral bloc in 1999 and associated with free market reforms, privatization, and the legacy of the "young reformers" of the 1990s: Anatoly Chubais, Boris Nemtsov, Sergey Kiriyenko and Yegor Gaidar. The party officially self-dissolved in 2008. Nikita Belykh was the party's last leader from 2005 to 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1996 Russian presidential election</span>

Presidential elections were held in Russia on 16 June 1996, with a second round being held on 3 July 1996. It resulted in a victory for the incumbent Russian president Boris Yeltsin, who ran as an independent politician. Yeltsin defeated the Communist Party of the Russian Federation challenger Gennady Zyuganov in the second round, receiving 54.4% of the vote. Yeltsin's second inauguration ceremony took place on 9 August 1996.

The People's Freedom Party, often known by its short form PARNAS, and formerly the Republican Party of Russia – People's Freedom Party, and initially Republican Party of Russia, was a liberal-democratic political party in Russia. It was one of the first opposition parties founded in the final years of the Soviet Union.

Democratic Russia was the generic name for several political entities that played a transformative role in Russia's transition from Communist rule. In 1991–1993, the Democratic Russia Movement was the largest political organization in the country and Boris Yeltsin's base of political support.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sergey Mitrokhin</span> Russian politician

Sergey Sergeyevich Mitrokhin is a Russian politician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Russian presidential election</span>

Presidential elections were held in Russia on 18 March 2018. Incumbent president Vladimir Putin was eligible to run. He declared his intent to do so on 6 December 2017 and was expected to win. This came following several months of speculation throughout the second half of 2017 as Putin made evasive comments, including that he had still not decided whether he would like to "step down" from the post of president, that he would "think about running", and that he "hadn't yet decided whether to run for another term". Different sources predicted that he would run as an independent to capitalize more support from the population, and although he could also have been nominated by the United Russia party as in 2012, Putin chose to run as an independent. Among registered voters in Russia, 67.5% voted in the election.

The 1996 Gennady Zyuganov presidential campaign sought to elect the leader of the Communist Party of Russia, Gennady Zyuganov as President of Russia in the 1996 presidential election.

Mikhail Gorbachev, a former president of the Soviet Union and General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, ran in the 1996 Russian presidential election. Gorbachev's candidacy was beset by the obstacles of both minimal media coverage and a high level of disdain towards him amongst the Russian populace. Gorbachev's candidacy ended in defeat during the first round of the election. The effort was the first and only electoral campaign of Gorbachev's post-Soviet political career.

Third force, in relation to the 1996 Russian presidential election, refers to the possibility of a center-left third party voting bloc being formed in order to create a viable alternative to Boris Yeltsin and Gennady Zyuganov.

The 2018 presidential campaign of Grigory Yavlinsky was announced in February 2016 by co-founder of the Yabloko party Grigory Yavlinsky at a party congress. He previously ran as a candidate in 1996 and 2000, and attempted to do so again in 2012 but was rejected by the Central Election Commission due to not having enough signatures.

The 2018 presidential campaign of Ksenia Sobchak was announced in a YouTube video, on 19 October 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boris Yeltsin 1996 presidential campaign</span>

The Boris Yeltsin presidential campaign, 1996 was the reelection campaign of Russian President Boris Yeltsin in the 1996 election.

Gennady Zyuganov, a member of the State Duma since 1993, leader of the Communist Party and four-time Russian presidential candidate, has taken positions on many political issues through his public comments, his presidential campaign statements, and his voting record.

The Grigory Yavlinsky presidential campaign, 1996 was Grigory Yavlinsky's campaign in the 1996 Russian presidential election. Yavlinsky ran as the nominee of Yabloko. Running as a socially liberal, politically centrist, and democratic-minded candidate, he was eliminated after placing fourth in the first-round of the election. He subsequently gave his endorsement to Boris Yeltsin in the second-round of the election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grigory Yavlinsky 2000 presidential campaign</span>

The Grigory Yavlinsky presidential campaign, 2000 was Grigory Yavlinsky's campaign in the 2000 Russian presidential election. Yavlinsky ran as the nominee of Yabloko. This was Yavlinsky's second presidential bid, as he had been a candidate in the previous presidential election.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 White, David (2006). The Russian Democratic Party Yabloko: Opposition in a Managed Democracy. Ashgate Publishing, LTD.
  2. ↑ The 1996 Russian presidential election / Jerry F. Hough, Evelyn Davidheiser, Susan Goodrich Lehmann. Brookings occasional papers.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Russian Democratic Party YABLOKO". www.eng.yabloko.ru. Yabloko. n.d. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Zamyatina, Tamara (December 1, 1995). "PARTIES: YABLOKO". Prism . Retrieved August 19, 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Президентская программа (in Russian). Yavlinsky campaign website. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  6. ↑ "Russian Election Watch no. 9". www.belfercenter.org. Belfer Center. October 1, 1995. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  7. 1 2 Simes, Dimitri K (1999). After the Collapse . New York City: Simon & Schuster. ISBN   978-0-684-82716-2.
  8. 1 2 Явлинский представил президентскую программу "Дорога в будущее" (in Russian). Radio Svoboda. Published 5 December 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  9. ↑ Yavlinsky spoke about his election program for the elections-2018 Archived 2017-12-07 at the Wayback Machine . Russian Reality. Published 21 March 2017. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  10. ↑ Azhgikhina, Nadezhda (February 2, 2018). "Grigory Yavlinsky's Program Gives Russian Society a Chance to Preserve Its Dignity". www.thenation.com. The Nation. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  11. ↑ Papkova, Irina (2007). "The Russian Orthodox Church and Political Party Platforms" (PDF). www.academic.oup.com. Oxford University Press. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  12. ↑ Yavlinsky Says He Will Beat Putin in 2018 Presidential Elections. The Moscow Times . Published 4 March 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  13. 1 2 Yabloko's nominee for president of Russia in 2018 sees Crimea as Ukraine. Ukrainian Independent Information Agency. Published 18 January 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  14. ↑ Явлинский: Трампу доверять нельзя, России грозит ядерный удар (in Russian). Pravda.ru. Published 5 December 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  15. ↑ Smith, Kathleen E. (2002). Mythmaking in the New Russia . Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press.
  16. ↑ "Archives". Los Angeles Times .
  17. ↑ Lipshitz, Cnaan (January 19, 2018). "Liberal Jewish politician emerging as main opposition challenger to Putin". www.timesofisrael.com. Times of Israel. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.