Nobody has called Alexei Navalny a strong politician as of yet. He is an interesting public figure and sometimes implements very successful initiatives. He made a successful attack on United Russia that became rather famous because he timed the attack with the weakening of the government. However, he became indecisive and largely lost his advantageous position each time after achieving success in such attacks.
Recently, renowned opposition activist, blogger and anti-corruption fighter Alexei Navalny announced his plans to run for president. Do you think that such a strong statement is linked to the upcoming hearing in the Kirovles case, in which he faces embezzlement charges?
Politicians make such statements for more than one reason. On the one hand, it is obvious that Navalny has seen himself as a potential presidential nominee over the past year. On the other hand, he timed this statement with the hearing, so that it would seem even more impressive.
Is Navalny a strong, promising politician who can play a major role in Russian policy?
Nobody has called him a strong politician as of yet. He is an interesting public figure and sometimes implements very successful initiatives, such as his struggle against corruption and the embezzlement of federal budget funds, and the Rospil project. He made a successful attack on United Russia that became rather famous because he timed the attack with the weakening of the government, the Putin-Medvedev swap, and the elections. However, he became indecisive and largely lost his advantageous position each time after achieving success in such attacks.
Today, he seems to riding high once again – this time, though, as a result of the authorities attacking him as opposed to upon his own initiative. This makes him appear to be a larger figure than he actually is. That said, I don’t rule out the possibility that he may experience an impressive “take-off” in his political life – maybe because of the criminal case against him.
What qualities positively or negatively distinguish him from other members of the non-systemic opposition?
He talks well with people and they understand what he is saying. He corresponds better with the image of a modern urban resident than the older leaders of the liberal opposition, who belong to the more elderly generation and appear to be anachronisms. Unlike Navalny, the leaders of the opposition today cannot be seen as meaningful political figures.
According to the Levada Public Opinion Poll Centre, if Navalny ran for president today, he would receive 14% of the votes. Can the upcoming criminal case turn him into a martyr and win him increased support, as opposed to destroying him as a politician?
It would be absurd to call him a martyr, although today he is a focus of attention as a result of his persecution and the upcoming trial. In reality, 14% of the votes is a large figure. Two years ago, he was just a famous blogger who was known to only about 2% of the population.
Navalny is achieving certain successes. However, I think the authorities who are after him are the primary force that will influence his political future. They are making him interesting and turning him from a fairly weak politician into a strong symbol of confrontation with the present regime. I cannot predict a verdict in the case, but I’m sure that it will be political as opposed to judicial. The majority of the people in this country, even including this regime’s supporters, are confident in such a result. The major problem facing the authorities is that their integrity is not trusted. This is turning Navalny into a virtual alternative. The authorities will attempt to make a manoeuvre, but they have deprived themselves of the opportunity to investigate this case in good faith because Navalny has been swept up by a purely political storm.
