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Kremlin Insider on 2012 Presidential Elections
In a 20th January interview, Vladimir Putin’s long standing mentor, Gleb Pavlovsky, said that one of the former President’s biggest mistakes had been to concentrate on forming majorities with major urban players while ignoring any kind of dialogue with minority groups. By minority groups he meant those with intellectual, creative and innovative leanings. As a result, a vacuum had been created that had been filled with radical ideas and activists and more dangerously, informal structures representing the state, security and interior services.

Dmitry Medvedev had achieved recognition as the country’s President, rising above all among those involved in the bureaucracy. This was not an easy task as he came to office on Putin’s recommendation, but he has won a reputation for independence that will stand him in good stead at the next elections. He has dedicated himself to modernisation and during the course of 2010 he will need to demonstrate at least some measure of success in this area. If there are no major crises in the coming year and Medvedev can get his modernisation programme off the ground without problems, Pavlovsky believes that he could become a presidential candidate in 2011 with a good chance of success in the 2012 election. »