MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti political commentator Yury Filippov). In his annual addresses to the Federal Assembly, President Putin each time highlights key aspects of the country's development that will have the state spotlight turned on them in the future.
In previous years, the president has focused on how to make the economy more competitive, increase GDP, reform the welfare system, and regulate the situation in Chechnya. One of the main thrusts of the 2005 Address was the problem of the bureaucracy.
"Standing up to the bureaucratic reaction" has been the central theme of the Russian opposition, from Yabloko to the Communists, for several years. In his address to the Federal Assembly, Putin made it clear that he considers the "bureaucratic offensive on civil, economic and public freedoms" to be an extremely serious domestic problem for Russia that needs to be solved, rather than a hackneyed phrase. Here he clearly threw his weight behind those United Russia deputies who proposed last week a party discussion on bureaucracy, civil freedoms and democratic values.
At the same time, Putin left virtually no room for debate. His diagnosis was succinct: "Our officialdom is still to a considerable extent a cloistered and arrogant caste regarding state interests as a sort of business." And the president's attitude to this caste can only be interpreted in one way. "Our plans do not include placing the country in the hands of an ineffective and corrupt bureaucracy," he said.
The president's last words can be seen as a veiled response to many questions about handing over the reins of power in 2008, Putin's possible third term, his successor, amendments to the constitution in this context, and so on and so forth.
Putin's state reforms launched in 2000 inevitably led to bolstering the bureaucracy and, in a wider context, the entire class of administrators: state, party, and corporate. Strictly speaking, they are already wielding power in Russia, and in 2008 this power will be confirmed as a minimum. In any case, it is obvious that a member of this group, no matter from which section, will become the president.
But this creates future risks, a choice between a "breakthrough" and "stagnation" as Putin said in his address. He bolstered the bureaucracy during his first term, because there was no other way to strengthen the state and economy. But he is extremely unhappy with the current quality of the bureaucracy, as, indeed, is most of society. Putin cannot hand over his power to this bureaucracy in 2008.
How can corruption and inefficiency be conquered? This is the main question that the Russian state must answer as soon as possible. Many would, of course, prefer not only not to answer, but even not to ask. But both things will have to be done. One of the means to see this through will be the competitive party system that is being gradually introduced in Russia. As Putin said in his address, the parties that win regional elections must be given the right to propose a candidature for the local governorship to the president. This means that a successful election campaign may enable the victors to form the entire administrative corps in the region, and not in the lobbies, but within the framework of party democracy. That will then come under the close scrutiny of opposition parties, so the victorious party will have to prove to the electorate its transparency, honesty and efficiency. Here it would be very appropriate to assess the authorities' moves from the standpoint of civil freedoms and democratic values.
With time, perhaps, this experience may be extended to the federal level, because this is a good way of forming a party-based government. Naturally, there are flaws: party life, like that of the bureaucracy, is not free of corruption, inefficiency, and scandals. But this is still better than the wild division of power and property, with dirty tricks and heavy-handed raids against rivals, which all but became the norm in the previous era.
Today, the Russian managerial class needs other more civilized and rational selection principles. That perhaps will be the main state reform to be undertaken by Vladimir Putin.
