The International Talk Show - 01.10.2011 | Quadriga

Power and Democracy - Russia under Vladimir Putin Russian president Dmitry Medvedyev won't be running for re-election in 2012. He has stepped aside to allow his mentor Vladimir Putin to run for a third term as president. The Russian constitution only allows two consecutive terms in the country's highest office, but Putin's hiatus as prime minister gives him a crack at two more terms, potentially another 12 years. The power-politician is as good as on his way back into the Kremlin. Of course, the gambit will not be complete without Medvedyev as Putin's own future prime minister.

The move has notcome as a surprise in Moscow, or anywhere else - but the timing has. The announcement of Putin's candidacy was not expected at the party convention but after the parliamentary elections in December. It's a blow to Medvedyev's supporters and to the hopes of Russia's liberal elite for swifter modernization and democratization. For his part, Medvedyev looks as if a heavy burden has been lifted from his shoulders.

Putin made use of his party convention to demonstrate his grip on power and invoke the people's continued support. His message is that Russia must be strong. He promises economic prosperity, saying he'll modernize the country's industry and create millions of jobs. Exactly how he intends to go about it, in the midst of ongoing energy and financial crises, he didn't say. Increasing criticism has been heard, even from among his closest advisors. One couched it in words of apparent praise: "Powerlessness is a mortal danger to Russia". Putin has no lack of will to power, as he has shown again and again. But to be sure, there will be no swift change in Russia under a Putin presidency.What do you think? Power and Democracy - Russia under Vladimir Putin

Write to us at: Quadriga@dw-world.deOur guests:

Sergey Lagodinsky - was born in Russia and emigrated to Germany in 1993. He is a fellow with the Global Public Policy Institute, Berlin. Lagodinsky's areas of expertise include transatlantic relations, global security, and international law. He is a frequent guest and commentator on RTVi (a world wide Russian speaking TV network). He is currently an associate with Orrick Hölters& Elsing in Berlin.

Lucian Kim - He studied languages and geography at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, and holds a master's degree in Nationalism Studies from Central European University in Budapest. As the Berlin correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor from 1996 to 2002, he also covered conflicts in Kosovo and Afghanistan. He moved to Russia in 2003, where he worked as an editor for The Moscow Times and a correspondent for Bloomberg News. He now is writing a book on the Putin era.Alexander Rahr - After completing his studies in history and political science at Munich's Ludwig-Maximilians-University, he became a researcher at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's research institute in Munich and then project manager at the former German Federal Institute for Eastern European and International Studies in Cologne. He was a consultant to the Rand Corporation in Santa Monica, California, sits on the board of Yalta European Strategy (YES), and is a member of the steering committee of the Petersburger Dialogue, a program to promote understanding between German and Russian civil society. He currently heads the Berthold-Beitz Center, a think-tank on Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Central Asia at the German Council on Foreign Relations.

He has written two biographies, one on Mikhail Gorbachev in 1986 and one on Vladimir Putin in 2000. His latest books include"Russland gibt Gas"(Accelerating Russia) in 2008,"Putin nach Putin"(Putin after Putin) in 2009 and"Der kalte Freund. Warum wir Russland brauchen" (The Cold Friend. Why We Need Russia) in 2011.