Visions of Economic Recovery by Russian Parties

Yevgeny Volk / March 31, 2009

The debates that took place last week within the government agencies, the State Duma and parliamentary party leaderships have proved that none of them has a clear idea of how to achieve an economic recovery. Most of the parties that number themselves among the opposition, whether they are Communists or the ultranationalist Liberal Democratic Party, are confining themselves to a set of populist slogans, ill equipped to combat the economic crisis.

The Russian Communist Party plenary meeting was most telling in that it kept harping that the present crisis proved the “collapse of liberal capitalism” and that only socialism could be an alternative to it. Curiously, Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov described the United States and Obama’s agenda as an example of this socialist approach.

The Zyuganov-set objective to enroll young, enthusiastic and gifted young people into his party in celebration of the 130th anniversary of Joseph Stalin this year shows how far Communists are removed from reality. (more…)