You actually gave the opposition a compliment by saying that we need
the opposition, including the non-systemic one.
It is not a compliment – this is what I think. I mean it sincerely.
By and large, objectively speaking, our opposition, well,
what we call the opposition, is tame. It is hand-fed.
No, that is not true. When…
Systemic. What we call systemic opposition.
Listen, we have four parliamentary parties.
Quite often they have their own view of things.
True, United Russia holds the majority in the State Duma.
Some may say: you know, it's … a little bit boring.
Window dressing.
No. A little bit boring.
A decoration.
No. A little bit boring.
Boring.
Yes.
Pretty true.
Yes, yes.
Honestly?
Yes.
A little bit boring.
I understand. Do you wish to jump for joy when they may be fighting
there like they do in Ukraine or some other place?
”Not the place for discussions,“ we remember.
No. It is the place for discussions.
But it is not a place for brawls or internal skirmishes.
Or for showing off.
Well, you sound somewhat too radical –
either a brawl or a swamp. What about taking some balanced position?
This is what I am telling you.
Listen to what Gennady Zyuganov said in his speech.
Oh!
What makes you say oh? He has his own stance, and not only he,
but other members of the Communist Party, too.
He and Zhirinovsky were philosophizing back when you were
working in Dresden.
It does not matter. It's not important.
In other words, a professional member of the opposition who lives
at a state dacha [residence] belonging to the Administrative
Directorate of the President, and drives a BMW with
flashing blue lights is fine with you?
Listen to me.
Is that so?
If you wish to remain on the offensive yourself,
you will not hear my answer.
I'm listening.
And this non-systemic opposition –
what is it? It’s legitimate parties. We have 50 parties altogether.
We have liberalised the process of registering a political
party. We have 50 of them.
Whether a member of an opposition party uses a car or not
is a different question.
What really matters is what attitude he takes towards the authorities
and the decisions proposed by the Government or the ruling
party on this or that issue.
You probably wanted to trip me up… You won't succeed.
What I want to tell you is this… There is the United Russia
party holding the majority.
Right.
Right? There are other parties who quite often disagree –
there are four of them in the parliament.
They disagree with the ruling party's point of view.
But you surely remember what there was in the 1990s,
you are old enough after all. It was a mess of a parliament.
Brawls were frequent and there was no chance to make a single decision.
Still worse – do you know what was still worse?
What?
It was still worse that the decisions they made were
impossible to implement. The economy was boxed into a corner.
That's what it led to when there was no constructive discussion.
Now, my question is: Do you want to see them make a mess
or make decisions of national importance?
In this connection, I cannot but recall one well-known Russian
statesman: ”You want great upheavals,
but I want great Russia.
“ I believe, we all want great Russia,
not stage shows at different levels of political power.
Absolutely. The opposition is also necessary to ‘put a hedgehog inside
the authorities’ skull’, to make them move and work harder.
Yes, yes, right. That's why I said that we need both systemic
and non-systemic opposition.
I'm saying so not as Russia's current President,
but as an ordinary Russian citizen. We don’t need any mess.
And we don’t need any shows. We need serious political activity.
You know, if the opposition is non-systemic it immediately,
almost automatically becomes an enemy of the state.
Nothing of the sort. Nothing of the sort.
What makes you think so? Or do you wish to think so yourself? This has
nothing to do with the reality. Why? We have 50 parties. Fifty.
People must simply… You know what? You see, it is necessary…
People should have an opportunity to express their opinion out loud
without any party… They should have this opportunity!
The political consciousness of Russia's ordinary citizens has grown
a lot over the past year. Yes.
We may watch with pleasure someone's shocking escapades.
Yes, we may like to see critics exposing somebody.
But! Even an ordinary citizen wants to see not only somebody criticize
the authorities, but to hear and understand what is proposed by those
who criticize; what solutions do they propose to the problems
the country is faced with? When nothing but criticism is heard
in reply, then the question arises: who is worth being voted for? Who
is to be elected to the local or regional legislatures
or the federal parliament?
You know, an ordinary citizen goes to work and back home every day.
And still, a plain sausage will not be enough today
for earning people's support.
I just consider you as a strong person.
Hope so.
With a past in the martial arts.
I still practise today.
You still practise, even more so.
Not worth it to underplay – the opponent must be a worthy one.
An opponent from among those who drive a BMW and reside at a state
dacha, who is unlikely to argue with you in earnest.
Listen to me. Do you think that in any other democratic country,
including the United States, Congress or Senate members
ride a goat to go to work…
It’s not just about the deputies…
Or a lame mare? They use state cars there, too.
It’s not about the cars, really.
No, this is exactly the matter.
You have in fact hinted that they are sort of being bribed.
They use what the state gives them for performing their duties.
They get it not from the current authorities.
They get it from the state under the existing law.
Be it a member of the opposition or not… Once the person takes
a certain office, he gets everything the state has to provide him with
in accordance with the law.
For carrying out his duties, including those that person campaigns
for and represented and that have propelled him to a certain body
of power, to parliament, for example.
It's not the President who gives him a car. This is important.
The President and his Administrative Directorate are obliged by law
to provide this, regardless of whether he likes this
or that deputy or party leader or not.
It's not about members or their cars…
That's the whole point.
This means that the government is obliged to provide everybody with
equal opportunities for performing their political functions.
My focus is rather on the political struggle,
not specifically on some cars or dachas…
That's part and parcel of the political struggle.
The state has to create conditions for an adherent to any views to have
an opportunity to work effectively.
And not to permit a situation when the parliament speaker might say:
”Are you from the ruling party? Great. Here's your BMW to move around.
And everybody else will drive a Zaporozhets [an economical supermini
a working man could afford].“ No. Everybody must enjoy equal conditions.