In 1998, Vladimir V. Putin headed the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation. From March to August 1999, he served as Secretary of the Security Council of Russia. On August 16, he was confirmed as Prime Minister of the Russian Federation. And already on December 31 of the same year he began to fulfill the duties of the President of the Russian Federation.
Vladimir Putin was elected head of state on March 26, 2000, and took up his duties on May 7, 2000. Vladimir Vladimirovich was elected to a second term on March 14, 2004 (until 2008). On May 7, 2008, he ceased to serve as president and became chairman of the United Russia party. The very next day, the new head of state, Dmitry Medvedev, signed a statement on the appointment of Putin as prime minister. But already in 2012, the politician again returned to the presidency of the state.
Briefly about the foreign policy of Vladimir Putin
As soon as Putin came to power in 2000, he approved the Foreign Policy Concept of the Russian Federation. The main direction of Putin’s foreign policy, according to this agreement, is: “The Russian Federation must be an active player in the international arena, which is necessary to maintain the proper image of the state.” For seven years, the president took part in the G8 summits. The politician spoke in Okinawa (Japan), in Genoa (Italy), Heiligendamm (Germany) and Kananaskis (Canada).
In 2004, Putin's foreign policy was still actively developing. The President officially visited China, where he signed an agreement on the transfer of the island of Tarabarov and the Big Ussuri Island. The president often tells the public and reporters that the destruction of the USSR is considered a geopolitical catastrophe and calls for the return of the status of the most powerful state in the world to the Russian Federation.
True, until 2004, Putin’s foreign policy was of little interest; the head of state was occupied with the country's domestic policy. In the same year, he repealed the Yeltsin production-sharing law. After this cancellation, huge sums of money from oil and gas began to flow into the state treasury of the Russian Federation. Many scientists believe that it was precisely this abolition that led the Russian Federation to real independence, and also laid the foundation for the country's sovereignty. But this state position did not suit the West. In 2004, a wave of terrorist attacks involving Chechen fighters took place in Russia. In order to prevent terrorist attacks, reforms were conducted in the police and the FSB, and counter-terrorism measures were strengthened.
Putin’s foreign policy, which we briefly described in the article, for 2016 turned out to be difficult: both the unresolved conflict in Ukraine, the lack of a positive result of the Minsk agreements, and the extension of sanctions by the European Union.
New policy of the Russian Federation
In 2007, President Putin’s foreign policy finally departed from the international strategy of the first president of Russia. In the same year, at the Munich Conference on Security and Politics in Europe, the president made a speech quoted by the media around the world. The statement consisted of the following points:
- In international relations, a unipolar model of the world order is impossible.
- The United States imposes its own policies on the world, sometimes even by force.
- The question of the need for military intervention is decided only by the UN.
- The political actions of the United States and the president himself are very aggressive.
- NATO does not comply with international agreements.
- The OSCE is a convenient tool to benefit the Northern Alliance.
- The Russian Federation will continue to conduct foreign policy exclusively in its interests.
Despite such loud statements by the head of the board of the Russian Federation, some countries supported his speech. But most world politicians have recognized Putin as one of the most aggressive politicians in the world.
Domestic policy of the head of the board of the Russian Federation
When Putin was still prime minister, in 1999, he made an article entitled "Russia at the Turn of the Millennium." After this speech, his rating overtook Yeltsin and amounted to 49%. In January 2000, public confidence in politics was already 55%.
When the new head of the board took over as president, the country was close to destruction. In the Russian Federation there were a large number of social, economic and political problems. Russia's gross domestic product was ten times less than that of the United States, and 5 times less than that of China. Already on February 25, 2000, V. Putin published an “Open Letter” to the people, where steps for the restoration and further development of the state were clearly spelled out, and planned reforms and a political course were outlined.
Four basic principles that were voiced in the "Open Letter" by Vladimir Vladimirovich:
- active fight against poverty;
- protecting the domestic market from criminal groups and local oligarchs;
- the revival of the national dignity of Russia and Russians;
- Putin’s foreign policy as president should be built to protect national interests.
From that moment, the government, led by the president, began the fight against illegal oligarchs and actively supported medium and small businesses. In May 2000, the president began a federal transformation.
Creation by the president of a single legal space
Establishing and maintaining order in the country, strengthening the vertical of power and state institutions - these were the first steps to lead Russia out of the crisis. In accordance with federal law, the legal framework of the state was updated. The legal space of the state has been restored. A clear delineation of powers was made between local governments and regions. The country has decentralized power.
Domestic policy and social orientation
Putin went on a new way to solve social problems and called it "a course towards investing in people, which means - into the future of the country itself." State policy has set the goal of improving and raising the standard of living of citizens. The process of restoration of especially neglected areas has begun: agriculture, education, health and housing.
About forty thousand units of diagnostic equipment and thirteen thousand ambulances were purchased. About 1.3 million poor women in need and about 300 thousand children received free medical care.
Improving the population growth of the state
Thanks to new health care reforms and material fertility promotion, the country's demographic mark has improved significantly. In 2010, the first certificate holders were able to take advantage of material assistance. About 314 thousand young mothers in 2010 received money from the state. The amount of help has risen. Also since 2010, benefits for social support for families with children have been increased.
Strengthening the army and stabilizing the situation in Chechnya
With great efforts, but still the president of the Russian Federation managed to stop the war in the North Caucasus. A major blow was inflicted on terrorism and separatism. Chechnya has become a full-fledged subject of Russia. Presidential and parliamentary elections were held in the Chechen Republic, and the Constitution was adopted.
But at that very moment serious problems were discovered in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. After resolving the conflict in the north of the Caucasus, the Russian authorities improved the material support of the military, purchased modern weapons and carried out a reform in the army.
The Prosperity of Corruption in Power
Despite the positive development of the domestic policy of the country, the president is still unable to overcome and completely eradicate corruption. In 2007, about a thousand criminal cases were instituted because of bribes from officials. To date, corruption in the public procurement system is about 300 million rubles, which is 10% of the total volume of bribes. Despite all this, there is still no article in the legislation on combating corruption. Moreover, the laws of the Russian Federation even lack the very definition of corruption.
Citizens' apathy for politics
About 60% of Russians today are not interested in politics. About 94% of citizens admitted that everything that happens in the country does not depend on themselves. Many blame the government led by V. Putin.
Domestic and foreign policy, which was briefly reviewed by us, shows that the country's leadership did not create a single mechanism where dialogue with the people would take place, and requests from the population would be heard, where residents could take an active part in the development of their homeland. Changes in the electoral law more and more separated the "top" of society from the "bottom". The power system is monopolized.
