Presidency of Dmitry Medvedev

Last updated

Dmitry Medvedev 1 July 2008-7.jpg
Presidency of Dmitry Medvedev
7 May 2008 –7 May 2012
Dmitry Medvedev

The presidency of Dmitry Medvedev began on 8 May 2008, when he became the 3rd President of the Russian Federation. Medvedev was the Head of the Presidential Administration during the 2nd term of Vladimir Putin as president, and the Chairman of Gazprom oil company. Dmitry Medvedev was the youngest Russian leader since 1918 at the time of his inauguration.

Medvedev's main domestic agenda was the wide-ranging Medvedev modernisation programme which aimed at modernising Russia's economy and society. In particular, the massive Skolkovo innovation center, part of the modernisation programme, is often regarded as Medvedev's brainchild. Another important program was the Russian police reform, launched by Medvedev in 2009, and led to the renaming of the Policing Organisation from Militsiya to police.

In foreign policy, Medvedev assumed a more conciliatory tone than his predecessor, pursuing a closer relationship with the United States in general and with President Barack Obama in particular; The New START nuclear arms reduction treaty is regarded as Medvedev's main achievement in foreign affairs. Under Medvedev, Russia intervened on behalf of South Ossetia and Abkhazia after a Georgian military attack against the de facto independent regions, and emerged victorious in the ensuing five-day 2008 South Ossetia war.

During Medvedev's tenure, Russia also struggled with and recovered from the Great Recession. Other important decisions made by Medvedev include lowering the Duma election threshold from 7% to 5%, firing Moscow's powerful but criticised mayor Yuri Luzhkov, launching a large-scale privatisation of state-owned companies, removing state officials from the boards of state-owned companies and the extension of the Presidential term from four years to six.

Inauguration

Taking the Presidential Oath in the Grand Kremlin Palace on 7 May 2008 Inauguration of Dmitry Medvedev, 7 May 2008-7.jpg
Taking the Presidential Oath in the Grand Kremlin Palace on 7 May 2008

On 7 May 2008, Dmitry Medvedev took an oath as the third President of the Russian Federation in a ceremony held in Kremlin Palace. [1] After taking the oath of office and receiving a gold chain of double-headed eagles symbolizing the presidency, he stated: "I believe my most important aims will be to protect civil and economic freedoms....We must fight for a true respect of the law and overcome legal nihilism, which seriously hampers modern development." [2] As his inauguration coincided with the celebration of the Victory Day on 9 May, he attended the military parade at Red Square and signed a decree to provide housing to war veterans. [3]

Personnel appointments

On 8 May 2008, Dmitry Medvedev appointed Vladimir Putin Prime Minister of Russia as he had promised during his election campaign. The nomination was approved by the State Duma with a clear majority of 392–56, with only communist deputies voting against. [4]

On 12 May 2008, Putin proposed the list of names for his new cabinet, which Medvedev approved. [5] Most of the personnel remained unchanged from the times of Putin's presidency, but there were a couple of high-profile changes. Minister of Justice Vladimir Ustinov was replaced by Aleksandr Konovalov; Minister of Energy Viktor Khristenko was replaced with Sergei Shmatko; Minister of Communications Leonid Reiman was replaced with Igor Shchegolev and Vitaliy Mutko received the newly created position of Minister of Sports, Tourism and Youth policy. In the presidential administration, Medvedev replaced Sergei Sobyanin with Sergei Naryshkin as the head of the administration. Furthermore, the head of the Federal Security Service Nikolai Patrushev was replaced with Alexander Bortnikov. [4]

Relationship with Putin

With Medvedev's election as president and Vladimir Putin—still the country's most popular politician—as Prime Minister, Russia was faced with an unprecedented situation: the constitutionally powerful President was now flanked with a highly influential Prime Minister. Media speculation was rife as to who of the two would be the country's real leader. "Tandem rule" became a widely used term in the media.

Medvedev meets with Vladimir Putin Dmitry Medvedev with Vladimir Putin-3.jpg
Medvedev meets with Vladimir Putin

Although the Russian constitution clearly apportions the majority of power to the president, speculation has arisen over the question of whether it is Medvedev or Prime Minister Vladimir Putin who actually wields the most power. [6] According to The Daily Telegraph , "Kremlin-watchers" note that Medvedev uses the more formal form of 'you' (Вы, 'vy') when addressing Putin, while Putin addresses Medvedev with the more informal 'ty' (ты). [6] According to a poll conducted in September 2009 by the Levada Center in which 1,600 Russians from across Russia took part, 13% believed Medvedev held the most power, 32% Putin, and 48% both (7% failed to answer). [7]

However, Medvedev affirmed his position of strength, stating, "I am the leader of this state, I am the head of this state, and the division of power is based on this." [8] Officially, the Kremlin insisted that the power of the Head of State still rested with the President Medvedev, not the Prime Minister Putin.

As both Putin and Medvedev could run for president in the 2012 general elections, there was a view from some analysts that some of Medvedev's recent actions and comments were designed to separate his image from Putin's: examples noted by the BBC included his dealings in late 2010 with NATO and America, possibly designed to show himself as being better able to deal with the Western nations, [9] and comments in November about the need for a stronger opposition in Russian politics, to present himself as a moderniser. The BBC also noted that other analysts believe the split is exaggerated, and Medvedev and Putin were "trying to maximise support for the authorities by appealing to different parts of society". [10] There was belief[ by whom? ] that the court verdict on oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky and his partner Platon Lebedev, both of whom funded opposition parties before their arrests, would indicate whether or not Putin "is still calling all the shots". [11]

Domestic policy

Anti-corruption efforts

Fighting corruption was one of the key areas of Medvedev's presidency. On 19 May 2008, Medvedev signed a decree on anti-corruption measures, which included the creation of an Anti-Corruption Council. [12] In the first meeting of the council on 30 September 2008, Medvedev said: [13]

"I will repeat one simple, but very painful thing. Corruption in our country has become rampant. It has become commonplace and characterises the life of the Russian society."

In July 2008, Medvedev's National Anti-Corruption Plan was published in the official Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper. It suggested measures aimed at making sanctions for corruption more severe, such as legislature to disqualify who state and municipal officials who commit minor corruption offences and making it obligatory for officials to report corruption. The plan ordered the government to prepare anti-corruption legislation based on these suggestions. [14] [15] The bill, called On Corruption Counteraction was signed into law on 25 December 2008 as Federal Law N 273-FZ. [16] According to Professor Richard Sakwa, "Russia now at last had serious, if flawed, legislation against corruption, which in the context was quite an achievement, although preliminary results were meagre." [13] Russia's score in Corruption Perceptions Index rose from 2.1 in 2008 to 2.2 in 2009, which "could be interpreted as a mildly positive response to the newly-adopted package of anti-corruption legislation initiated and promoted by president Medvedev and passed by the Duma in December of 2008", according to Transparency International's CPI 2009 Regional Highlights report. [17]

On 10 March 2009, Medvedev signed the presidential decree to reform the civil service system between 2009 and 2013 as part of his drive against corruption. The main direction of reforms include establishing a new system to manage the civil service, introducing effective technology and modern methods of human resources operations, and increasing the efficiency and professionalism of civil servants. [18]

On 13 April 2010, Medvedev signed presidential decree No. 460 which introduced the National Anti-Corruption Strategy, a midterm government policy, while the plan is updated every two years. The new strategy stipulated increased fines, greater public oversight of government budgets and sociological research. [19] [20] According to Georgy Satarov, president of the Indem think tank, the decree "probably reflected Medvedev's frustration with the fact that the 2008 plan had yielded little result." [19]

In January 2011, President Medvedev admitted that the government had so far failed in its anti-corruption measures. [21]

On 4 May 2011, Medvedev continued his anti-corruption efforts by signing the Federal Law On Amendments to the Criminal Code and the Code of Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation to Improve State Anti-Corruption Management. [22] The bill raised fines for corruption to up to 100 time the amount of the bribe given or received, with the maximum fine being 500 million rubles ($18.3 million). [23]

Economy

The onset of the 2008–2009 Russian financial crisis in September 2008 led to an economic decline. Dmitry Medvedev attributed the decline in the Russian stock market to the impact of the 2007–2008 financial crisis and contended that the crisis in Russia had little if anything to do with internal problems in its economy and government policies. He ordered the injection of large funds from the state budget into the markets to stabilize the situation. [24]

Medvedev launched the Medvedev modernisation programme, which aimed at modernising the economy of Russia and Russian society, decreasing the country's dependency on oil and gas revenues and creating a diversified economy based on high technology and innovation. [25] The programme was based on the top 5 priorities for the country's technological development: efficient energy use; nuclear technology; information technology; medical technology and pharmaceuticals; and space technology in combination with telecommunications. [26] For Medvedev, the modernisation programme became one of the most ambitious and important agendas of his presidency.

On 7 August 2009, Dmitry Medvedev instructed Prosecutor General Yury Chayka and Chief of the Audit Directorate of the Presidential Administration of Russia Konstantin Chuychenko to probe state corporations, a new highly privileged form of organizations earlier promoted by President Putin, to question their appropriateness. [27] That same day, Medvedev also said that giant state corporations will inevitably be privatized, and although the state had increased its role in the economy in recent years, this should remain a temporary move. [28]

In November 2010, on his annual speech to the Federal Assembly, Medvedev stressed for greater privatization of unneeded state assets both at the federal and regional level, and that Russia's regions must sell-off non-core assets to help fund post-crisis spending, following in the footsteps of the state's planned $32 billion 3-year asset sales. Medvedev said the money from privatisation should be used to help modernise the economy and the regions should be rewarded for finding their own sources of cash. [29] [30]

Election reform

In his first address to the Russian parliament on 5 November 2008, [31] Medvedev proposed to change the Constitution of Russia in order to increase the terms of the President and State Duma from four to six and five years respectively (see 2008 Amendments to the Constitution of Russia).

Medvedev proposed to the legislature on 8 May 2009 and on 2 June signed into law an amendment whereby the chairperson of the Constitutional Court and his deputies would be proposed to the parliament by the president rather than elected by the judges, as was the case before. [32]

In 2009, Medvedev proposed an amendment to the election law which would decrease the State Duma election threshold from 7% to 5%. The amendment was signed into law in Spring 2009. Parties receiving more than 5% but less than 6% of the votes will now be guaranteed one seat, while parties receiving more than 6% but less than 7% will get two seats. These seats will be allocated before the seats for parties with over 7% support. [33]

The Russian election law stipulates that parties with representatives in the State Duma (at the time United Russia, Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Liberal Democratic Party of Russia and A Just Russia) are free to put forward a list of candidates for the Duma elections, while parties with no current representation need first to collect signatures. Under the 2009 amendments initiated by Medvedev, the number of signatures required was lowered from 200,000 to 150,000 for the 2011 Duma elections. In subsequent elections, only 120,000 signatures will be required. [33]

In September 2009, Medvedev said he approved of the 2004 abolition of direct popular elections of regional leaders, effectively in favor of their appointment by the Kremlin, and added that he didn't see a possibility of a return to direct elections even in 100 years. [34] In August 2009, Medvedev promised to break the near-monopoly of ruling party United Russia over the political system, stating that "New democratic times are beginning". On 11 October 2009, regional elections were won by United Russia with 66% of the vote. Medvedev stated that this proved the party's moral and legal right to run the regions. But according to Liliya Shibanova, head of independent poll watchdog GOLOS Association, "political competition is practically zero". Pro-Western opposition parties claimed the playing fields were uneven. [35] [36] [37] On 26 October 2009, the First Deputy Chief of Staff Vladislav Surkov, warned that democratic experiments could result in more instability and that more instability "could rip Russia apart". [38] On 6 November 2010, Medvedev vetoed a recently passed bill which restricted antigovernment demonstrations. The bill, passed on 22 October, notably prohibited anyone who had previously been convicted of organizing an illegal mass rally from seeking permission to stage a demonstration. [39]

In late November 2010, Medvedev made a public statement about the damage being done to Russia's politics by the dominance of the United Russia party. He claimed that the country faced political stagnation if the ruling party would "degrade" if not challenged; "this stagnation is equally damaging to both the ruling party and the opposition forces." In the same speech, he said Russian democracy was "imperfect" but improving. BBC Russian correspondents reported that this came on the heels of discontent in political circles and opposition that the authorities, in their view, had too much control over the political process. [10]

Police reform

Medvedev made reforming Russia's law enforcement one of his top agendas. Medvedev initiated the reform at the end of 2009, with a presidential decree issued on 24 December ordering the government to start planning the reform. In early August 2010 a draft law was posted on the Internet [40] for public discussion. The website was popular, with more than 2,000 comments posted within 24 hours of its opening. [41] Based on citizen feedback, several modifications to the draft were made. On 27 October 2010, President Medvedev submitted the draft to the lower house of the State Duma. [42] The lower house of the Duma voted to approve the bill on 28 January 2011, and the upper house followed suit on 2 February. On 7 February, President Medvedev signed the bill into law. [43] The changes came into effect on 1 March 2011. [43]

Around 217 billion rubles ($7 billion) were allocated to the police reform from the federal budget for the time frame 2012–2013. [44]

Education

President Medvedev initiated new policy called "Our New School" and instructed the government to present a review on the implementation of the initiative every year. [45]

In May 2009, Medvedev set up the Presidential Commission of the Russian Federation to Counter Attempts to Falsify History to the Detriment of Russia's Interests. [46]

Technology

Medvedev named technological innovation one of the key priorities of his presidency. In May 2009, Medvedev established the Presidential Commission on Innovation, which he would personally chair every month. The commission comprises almost the entire Russian government and some of the best minds from academia and business. [47]

Foreign policy

With Finnish President Tarja Halonen, 20 April 2009 Dmitry Medvedev with Tarja Halonen.jpg
With Finnish President Tarja Halonen, 20 April 2009
With U.S. President Barack Obama, 8 April 2010 Obama and Medvedev sign Prague Treaty 2010.jpeg
With U.S. President Barack Obama, 8 April 2010

2008 South Ossetia war

The most serious foreign policy event during Medvedev's presidency was the 2008 South Ossetia war. Tensions between Georgia and Russian-supported separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia had been rising throughout the year 2008, with both sides accusing each other of preparing for a war. In the night of 7–8 August, Georgia launched a massive military attack against South Ossetia. 7 Russian peacekeepers stationed in the region were killed in the attack. The Georgian side said that the actions of Russian peacekeepers and Ossetians were provocative and they intended to make Georgia feel forced to start the military operation.[ citation needed ] On 8 August, Russia reacted by sending its military forces into South Ossetia and launching air strikes against Georgian military infrastructure. Russia and Abkhazia opened a second front by attacking the Kodori Gorge, held by Georgia. In five-days of fighting, the Georgian assault was repelled and its forces were expelled from both of the separatist regions The war drove tensions in Russia–United States relations to a post–Cold War high. On 26 August, following a unanimous vote of the Federal Assembly of Russia, Medvedev issued a presidential decree officially recognizing Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states, [48] an action condemned by the G8. [49]

Medvedev Doctrine

On 31 August 2008, Medvedev announced a shift in the Russian foreign policy under his government, built around five main principles, collectively known as the Medvedev Doctrine: [50]

  1. Fundamental principles of international law are supreme.
  2. The world will be multipolar.
  3. Russia will not seek confrontation with other nations.
  4. Russia will protect its citizens wherever they are.
  5. Russia will develop ties in friendly regions.
President Dmitry Medvedev at the 2nd ASEAN-Russia Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, 30 October 2010 Dmitry medvedev at the 2nd asean-russia summit in hanoi, vietnam, october 30, 2010.jpeg
President Dmitry Medvedev at the 2nd ASEAN-Russia Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, 30 October 2010

In his address to the parliament on 5 November 2008 he also promised to deploy the Iskander missile system and radar-jamming facilities in Kaliningrad Oblast to counter the U. S. missile defence system in Eastern Europe. [51] Following U.S. President Barack Obama's announcement on 17 September 2009, that Washington would not deploy missile-defense elements in the Czech Republic and Poland, Dmitry Medvedev said he decided against deploying Iskander missiles in Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast. [52]

In August 2009, Medvedev published an open letter blaming Ukraine's president Viktor Yushchenko for "the anti-Russian position of the current Ukrainian authorities", [nb 1] [53] [54] which analysts said was timed to influence the 2010 Ukrainian presidential election. [55] [56] It elicited a response, [nb 2] [58] and would later influence the pro-Russian policies of president Viktor Yanukovych. [59] : 6 

2012 presidential election

On 24 September 2011, during the United Russia party congress, Medvedev recommended Vladimir Putin as the party's presidential candidate for the presidential election the following year and revealed that the two men had already made a deal that would allow Putin to run for president in 2012, being ineligible to do so in 2008 because of term limits. [60] Medvedev added that he himself wanted to remain in government in some other capacity. Putin accepted Medvedev's offer the same day, and endorsed him for the position of the prime minister of Russia should United Russia, who were being led by Medvedev, win in the upcoming legislative election. [61]

Putin won the election on 4 March 2012, and was inaugurated on 7 May, as Medvedev's presidency ended and he was appointed prime minister. [62]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ In the videoblog, Dmitry Medvedev accused Viktor Yushchenko of arming the Georgian military with Ukrainian weapons which were used in the war in South Ossetia in August 2008. Among other issues in the relationship, such as the Black Sea Fleet, gas disputes, Medvedev also accused Yushchenko of attempting to eliminate the Russian language from everyday life in Ukraine. Medvedev also accused the Yushchenko administration of being willing to engage in historical revisionism and heroisation of Nazi collaborators, and imposing on the international community "a nationalistic interpretation of the mass famine of 1932–1933 in the USSR, calling it the "genocide of the Ukrainian people".
  2. ↑ In the letter Ukrainian President Yushchenko called Ukraine's position on the 2008 events in Georgia coincident with "the known positions of virtually all other countries" with "an exceptional respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of borders of Georgia or any other sovereign states", called arms trade with Georgia legal since Georgia has not been and now is not a subject of any international sanctions or embargo, objected to Russian criticism about Ukraine joining NATO (emphasizing that the desire of Ukraine to membership in NATO was in no way directed against Russia and the final decision on accession to NATO will be held only after a national referendum), accused the Black Sea Fleet of "gross violations of bilateral agreements and the legislation of Ukraine", accused Russia of trying "to deprive Ukraine of its view of its own history" and accused Russia that not Ukraine but Russia itself is "virtually unable to realize the right to meet their national and cultural needs" of the Ukrainian minority in Russia. [57]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vladimir Putin</span> President of Russia (1999–2008, 2012–present)

Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who is the president of Russia. Putin has held continuous positions as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime minister from 1999 to 2000 and from 2008 to 2012, and as president from 2000 to 2008 and from 2012 onward. He is the longest-serving Russian or Soviet leader since Joseph Stalin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">President of Russia</span> Head of state of Russia

The President of the Russian Federation is the executive head of state of Russia. The president is the chair of the Federal State Council and the supreme commander-in-chief of the Russian Armed Forces. It is the highest office in Russia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elections in Russia</span>

On the federal level, Russia elects a president as head of state and a parliament, one of the two chambers of the Federal Assembly. The president is elected for, at most, two consecutive six-year terms by the people. The Federal Assembly has two chambers. The State Duma has 450 members, elected for five-year terms. The Federation Council is not directly elected; each of the 89 federal subjects of Russia sends 2 delegates to the Federal Council, for a total of 208 (178 + 30, members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Viktor Yushchenko</span> President of Ukraine from 2005 to 2010

Viktor Andriiovych Yushchenko is a Ukrainian politician who was the third president of Ukraine from 23 January 2005 to 25 February 2010. He aimed to orient Ukraine towards the West, European Union and NATO.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orange Revolution</span> Series of political protests in Ukraine in 2004–2005

The Orange Revolution was a series of protests that lead to political upheaval in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005. It gained momentum primarily due to the initiative of the general population, sparked by the aftermath of the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election run-off which was claimed to be marred by massive corruption, voter intimidation and electoral fraud. Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, was the focal point of the movement's campaign of civil resistance, with thousands of protesters demonstrating daily. Nationwide, this was highlighted by a series of acts of civil disobedience, sit-ins, and general strikes organized by the opposition movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boris Nemtsov</span> Russian scientist, statesman and liberal politician (1959–2015)

Boris Yefimovich Nemtsov was a Russian physicist, liberal politician, and outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin. Early in his political career, he was involved in the introduction of reforms into the Russian post-Soviet economy. In the 1990s under President Boris Yeltsin, he was the first governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Oblast (1991–1997). Later he worked in the government of Russia as Minister of Fuel and Energy (1997), Vice Premier of Russia and Security Council member from 1997 to 1998. In 1998, he founded the Young Russia movement. In 1998, he co-founded the coalition group Right Cause and in 1999, he co-formed Union of Right Forces, an electoral bloc and subsequently a political party. Nemtsov was also a member of the Congress of People's Deputies (1990), Federation Council (1993–97) and State Duma (1999–2003).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dmitry Medvedev</span> President of Russia from 2008 to 2012

Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev is a Russian politician who has been serving as deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia since 2020. Medvedev was also the third president of Russia from 2008 to 2012 and prime minister of Russia from 2012 to 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Russian presidential election</span>

Presidential elections were held in Russia on 2 March 2008, and resulted in the election of Dmitry Medvedev as the third President of Russia. Medvedev was elected for a four-year term, whose candidacy was supported by incumbent president Vladimir Putin and five political parties, received 71% of the vote, and defeated Gennady Zyuganov of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, and Vladimir Zhirinovsky of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rodina (political party)</span> Political party in Russia

The All-Russian Political Party "Rodina" is a nationalist political party in Russia. It was a coalition of thirty nationalist groups that was established by Dmitry Rogozin, Sergey Glazyev, Sergey Baburin, Viktor Gerashchenko, Georgy Shpak, Valentin Varennikov and others in August 2003. The party's ideology combines "patriotism, nationalism, and a greater role for the government in the economy", and is described as pro-Kremlin. Its headquarters is located in Moscow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Babakov</span> Russian politician (born 1963)

Alexander Mikhailovich Babakov is a Russian politician and member of the State Duma, the Russian parliament. He was appointed Special Presidential Representative to Russians by Vladimir Putin in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Just Russia – For Truth</span> Political party in Russia

Socialist Political Party "A Just Russia – Patriots – For Truth" (SRZP), officially abbreviated as A Just Russia – For Truth, is a social conservative and social-democratic political party in Russia. The party is considered to be part of the "systemic opposition" and is generally sympathetic to the agenda of incumbent president Vladimir Putin, including his foreign policy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gennady Gudkov</span> Russian politician and businessman (born 1956)

Gennady Vladimirovich Gudkov is a Russian politician and businessman. The Moscow Times described him in 2012 as "one of parliament's most vocal and charismatic critics" of President Vladimir Putin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Viktor Zubkov</span> Russian politician and businessman (born 1941)

Viktor Alekseyevich Zubkov is a Russian civil servant, politician and businessman who served as the 36th Prime Minister of Russia from September 2007 to May 2008. He was Vladimir Putin's First Deputy Prime Minister during the presidency of Dmitry Medvedev.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abkhazia–Russia relations</span> Bilateral diplomatic relations

Abkhazia–Russia relations is the bilateral relationship between the Republic of Abkhazia and the Russian Federation. Russia recognised Abkhazia on 26 August 2008, following the August 2008 Russo-Georgian War. Abkhazia and Russia established diplomatic relations on 9 September 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russia–South Ossetia relations</span> Bilateral diplomatic relations

Russia–South Ossetia relations refers to the bilateral relationship between Russia and the Republic of South Ossetia, a disputed region in the South Caucasus, located on the territory of the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast within the former Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic.

The amendments of 2008, which were proposed in November 2008 and came into force on 31 December 2008, were the first substantial amendments to the Constitution of Russia of 1993. The amendments extended the terms of the President of Russia and the State Duma from four to six and five years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Opposition to Vladimir Putin in Russia</span> Movement aiming to remove Vladimir Putin from his offices

Opposition to the government of President Vladimir Putin in Russia, commonly referred to as the Russian opposition, can be divided between the parliamentary opposition parties in the State Duma and the various non-systemic opposition organizations. While the former are largely viewed as being more or less loyal to the government and Putin, the latter oppose the government and are mostly unrepresented in government bodies. According to Russian NGO Levada Center, about 15% of the Russian population disapproved of Putin in the beginning of 2023.

The political career of Vladimir Putin concerns the career of Vladimir Putin in politics, including his current tenure as President of Russia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inauguration of Dmitry Medvedev</span> 2008 inauguration

Inauguration of Dmitry Medvedev as the president of Russia took place on Wednesday, May 7, 2008. The ceremony was held in the Grand Kremlin Palace and lasted about one hour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Medvedev cabinet</span> Composition of Russian government from 2018 to 2020

Dmitry Medvedev's Second Cabinet was the composition of the Russian government from 18 May 2018 to 15 January 2020 under the leadership of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

References

  1. ↑ "ABC Live". Abclive.in. Archived from the original on 27 May 2009. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
  2. ↑ Stott, Michael (7 May 2008). "www.reuters.com, Russia's Medvedev takes power, pledges freedom". Reuters.com. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
  3. ↑ Medvedev decrees to provide housing to war veterans Archived 22 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine - ITAR-TASS, 07.05.2008, 15.27.
  4. 1 2 Willerton, John (2010). "Semi-presidentialism and the evolving executive". In White, Stephen (ed.). Developments in Russian Politics. Vol. 7. Duke University Press. ISBN   9780230224490.
  5. ↑ Arnold, Chloe (12 May 2008). "Russia: Prime Minister Putin Names New Cabinet". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty . Moscow . Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  6. 1 2 Osborn, Andrew (7 March 2010). "Dmitry Medvedev's Russia still feels the cold hand of Vladimir Putin, Telegraph". London: Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
  7. ↑ Poll: Medvedev and Putin: who holds the power? Archived 16 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine Levada Center Retrieved on 12 March 2010.
  8. ↑ Medvedev insists he's the boss Retrieved on 12 March 2010.
  9. ↑ Jonathan Marcus BBC diplomatic correspondent (20 November 2010). "Russia 'to work with Nato on missile defence shield'". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 19 February 2011.{{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  10. 1 2 Rosenberg, Steve (24 November 2010). "Medvedev warns of political 'stagnation' in Russia". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  11. ↑ Ostalski, Andrei (15 December 2010). "Russia's most important court trial". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  12. ↑ Burger, Ethan S. (Winter 2009). "Following only some of the money in Russia". Demokratizatsiya . 17 (1). George Washington University: 41–72. doi:10.3200/DEMO.17.1.41-72 . Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  13. 1 2 Sakwa 2011, p. 329.
  14. ↑ Medvedev’s Anti-Corruption Crusade Archived 12 December 2011 at the Wayback Machine Russia Profile, 2008-07-08.
  15. ↑ National Anti-Corruption Plan Archived 16 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine Website of the President of Russia, 2008-07-31.
  16. ↑ The Russian Federation Federal Law On Corruption Counteraction, December 25, 2008, N 273-FZ Archived 16 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine Website of President of Russia.
  17. ↑ Grafting the Future Archived 28 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine Russia Profile, 2009-11-29.
  18. ↑ RIA Novosti 10 March 2009.
  19. 1 2 Nikolaus von Twickel (16 April 2010). "Medvedev Redefines Anti-Corruption Drive". The Moscow Times.
  20. ↑ National Anti-Corruption Strategy (Approved by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation №460 of 13 April 2010) Website of the President of Russia.
  21. ↑ Russian president admits failure in fighting corruption Archived 22 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine Xianhuanet 2011-01-13.
  22. ↑ Amendments to bolster anti-corruption legislation Website of the President of Russia.
  23. ↑ "Imprisonment for bribery replaced with 500 million rubles fine". Baltic News Network . 17 February 2011. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  24. ↑ Halpin, Tony (18 September 2008). "Russia floods markets with cash in shutdown". The Times . London. Archived from the original on 23 September 2008.
  25. ↑ "Russia Profile Weekly Experts Panel: 2009 – Russia's Year in Review". Russia Profile. 31 December 2009. Archived from the original on 19 January 2011.
  26. ↑ Presidential Commission on the modernisation and technological development of the Russian economy Archived 11 December 2016 at the Wayback Machine Official site. (in Russian)
  27. ↑ "Ъ-Online - Генпрокуратура приступила к проверке госкорпораций". Kommersant.ru. Archived from the original on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
  28. ↑ "Russian President Puts State Firms Under Scrutiny". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty from Reuters . Moscow. 7 August 2009. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  29. ↑ "Russia tells regions to join privatisation drive". Forexpros.com. 30 November 2010. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  30. ↑ "Privatization in regions to yield tens of billions of rbls-Kremlin". Itar-tass.com. Retrieved 19 February 2011.[ permanent dead link ]
  31. ↑ "Full text in English". Kremlin.ru. Archived from the original on 31 August 2009. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
  32. ↑ "Itar-Tass". Itar-Tass. Retrieved 28 September 2010.[ permanent dead link ]
  33. 1 2 "How the Duma electoral system works". Levada Center.
  34. ↑ "St. Petersburg Times". Times.spb.ru. 18 September 2009. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
  35. ↑ Medvedev hails, opponents decry Kremlin party win, Reuters (12 October 2009)
  36. ↑ Pro-Kremlin party sweeps Moscow elections [ dead link ], Associated Press (12 October 2009).
  37. ↑ Russians Vote In Test For Medvedev's Democracy Pledge, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (11 October 2009).
  38. ↑ Kremlin warns against wrecking Russia with democracy, Kyiv Post (26 October 2009).
  39. ↑ "Medvedev vetoes law restricting protests". Yahoo! News. 6 November 2010. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
  40. ↑ http://zakonoproekt2010.ru/ (Archived 26 October 2019 at the Wayback Machine )
  41. ↑ "Russia Profile Weekly Experts Panel: Will Police Reform Result in Name Change Only?". Russia Profile. 27 August 2010. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011.
  42. ↑ "Medvedev submits draft police law to Russian lower house". RIA Novosti. 27 October 2010. Archived from the original on 7 October 2011.
  43. 1 2 Munro, Bill; Goodall, Kay Eileen; Malloch, Margaret S., eds. (2013). Building Justice in Post-transition Europe: Processes of Criminalisation Within Central and Eastern European Societies. Routledge. p. 162. ISBN   9780415697132.
  44. ↑ "Russia to spend around $7 billion on police reform in 2012-2013". RIA Novosti. 9 September 2010. Archived from the original on 7 October 2011.
  45. ↑ Itar Tass, "Pres to launch education modernization project in few days".
  46. ↑ Andrew Osborn. Medvedev Creates History Commission, Wall Street Journal , 21 May 2009.
  47. ↑ "Russia Profile Weekly Experts Panel: Medvedev's Quest for Innovation". Russia Profile. 5 June 2009. Archived from the original on 11 August 2010. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
  48. ↑ Russia recognises Georgian rebels, BBC, 26 August 2008. Retrieved 27 August 2008.
  49. ↑ Russia faces fresh condemnation, BBC, 27 August 2008. Retrieved 29 August 2008.
  50. ↑ Pacer, Valerie (19 November 2015). Russian Foreign Policy Under Dmitry Medvedev, 2008-2012. Taylor & Francis. p. 121. ISBN   9781317373063.
  51. ↑ Steve Gutterman and Vladimir Isachenkov. Medvedev: Russia to deploy missiles near Poland, Associated Press , 5 November 2008.
  52. ↑ Shchedrov, Oleg (25 September 2009). "Russia won't put missiles in Kaliningrad: Medvedev". Reuters . Pittsburgh . Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  53. ↑ "Medvedev lambasts Ukraine leader". BBC News. 11 August 2009. Archived from the original on 14 August 2009. Retrieved 12 August 2009.
  54. ↑ "Address to the President of Ukraine Victor Yushchenko". Presidential Administration of Russia . 11 August 2009. Archived from the original on 15 August 2009. Retrieved 15 August 2009.
  55. ↑ "Medvedev lambasts Ukraine leader". BBC News. 11 August 2009. Archived from the original on 14 August 2009. Retrieved 12 August 2009.
  56. ↑ "UPDATE 3-Russia's Medvedev wades into Ukraine polls". Reuters. 11 August 2009. Archived from the original on 28 January 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  57. ↑ "Ющенко відповів Медведєву. Лист" [Yushchenko's response to Medvedev. Letter]. Ukrayinska Pravda (in Ukrainian). 13 August 2009. Archived from the original on 13 February 2019. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  58. ↑ "Yuschenko denies Medvedev's claims about Ukraine's anti-Russian policy". Interfax-Ukraine. 13 August 2009. Archived from the original on 13 February 2019. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  59. ↑ Kuzio, Taras (November 2010). The Crimea: Europe's Next Flashpoint? (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 March 2014.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  60. ↑ Englund, Will; Lally, Kathy (20 May 2023). "Medvedev confirms he will step aside for Putin to return to Russia's presidency". Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  61. ↑ "Russia's Putin set to return as president in 2012". BBC News. 24 September 2011. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  62. ↑ Elder, Miriam (4 March 2012). "Vladimir Putin: 'We have won. Glory to Russia'". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 20 June 2024.
Russian Presidential Administrations
Preceded by Medvedev Presidency
2008–2012		Succeeded by
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.