The inauguration of the Russian leader marked the 25th anniversary of his control of power – according to pro-Kremlin commentators, Putin’s new term will begin the transformation of Russia into what they call a “revolutionary power”.
According to Kremlin propagandists quoted by The Washington Post, Russia will become a country that seeks to change the world order, create its own rules and demand respect for totalitarian autocracy as a legitimate alternative to democracy, while instilling the ideology of “Putinism” into the country’s society.
For its part, Politico claims that the Russian dictator’s goal will be to reorganize his political elite and maintain the stability of the system – analysts cited by the daily predict unexpected changes in Moscow’s political kitchen.
A new reality
According to Dmitry Trenin, a pro-Russian analyst, Russia’s anti-Western sentiment has been “more radical and far-reaching” than previously expected.
He argued that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is “a relatively small element of a broader transformation taking place in Russia’s economy, state order, society, culture, values, spiritual and intellectual life.”
“Russians live in a completely new reality,” D. Trenin wrote.
Shortly before ordering a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Putin issued a decree that was described as vital to Russia’s national security. It called for urgent measures to protect “traditional Russian spiritual and moral values” and named the United States of America as a direct threat.
“Traditional values are threatened by the actions of extremist and terrorist organizations, some news media and communication platforms, the United States and other unfriendly foreign states,” the order said.
The decree adds that its main goal is to “consolidate the Russian state in the international arena as a custodian and defender of traditional universal spiritual and moral values.”
Scientific “Putinism”
The Washington Post lays out some of the methods Putin will use to transform into a ‘revolutionary force’
Russia will try to form ultra-conservative, anti-liberal values, based on the traditional values of Orthodox family politics.
The Kremlin will seek to reform education at all levels in an attempt to raise a new generation of caring and patriotic youth. According to the publication, Moscow will use several different methods for this – rewriting textbooks according to Kremlin propaganda, patriotic education programs set by the state, and mandatory military lessons starting this year. They will teach how to handle Kalashnikov assault rifles, grenades and drones.
Moscow is preparing for the repression of cultural life by blacklisting liberal or anti-war artists, directors, writers and artists. In turn, liberal journalists will be accused of extremism, discrediting the military and other crimes.
For its part, the Kremlin will continue its militarization, with institutions engaged in the zealous mobilization of pro-war activism after the war in Ukraine with the symbol “Z”, which was first painted on Russian tanks and other military equipment, and then spread to government buildings, posters, schools and organized demonstrations.
Russia will limit women’s rights, spread propaganda about the need to have children, reduce access to abortion, and accuse feminist activists of terrorism and extremism.
Putin will seek to rewrite Russian history to honor Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. The Kremlin will accuse scientists of treason and equate criticism of the war or the Russian dictator with terrorism or extremism.
“They (ed. past – Kremlin) are trying to develop this scientific “Putinism” as the basis of propaganda, ideology, historical education. They need an obedient new generation – indoctrinated robots in the ideological sense, who would support V. Putin, support his ideas, support this militarization of consciousness. They need cannon fodder for the future,” explained Andrei Kolesnikov, a senior research fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.
Continue spreading propaganda
As the Kremlin prepares its country for conflict with the West, Russia’s riot police are raiding nightclubs and private parties, beating up patrons and harassing gay bar owners.
Russians were jailed or fined for wearing rainbow earrings or displaying rainbow flags. Dissidents imprisoned during the Soviet era have again found themselves behind bars – this time for condemning the war in Ukraine.
Long obsessed with Russia’s population decline, Putin is urging Russian women to have eight or more children while forcefully removing part of Ukraine’s population, The Washington Post explains.
Dmitry Peskov, one of the Kremlin’s propagandists, answered the questions posed by The Washington Post, asserting that such a crackdown is carried out taking into account the needs of the public.
“If the public does not approve of it, then the police must take measures to meet the demands of the public,” he explained. “Society is now less tolerant of those parties and nightclubs.”
When asked about Russia’s demography, D. Peskov said that the aim is to “encourage the Russian people to give birth to as many children as possible” and thus increase the number of the Russian population.
“And in this context, the spread of traditional values is extremely important for us, in this context we have nothing to do with this extremist liberalism, in terms of the abandonment of traditional human and religious values, which we now observe in European countries. It doesn’t fit our understanding of what is right,” he added.
D. Peskov said that the Kremlin “will continue to use this as propaganda, in the good sense of the word.”
“Especially now, when our society is extremely consolidated around this idea of traditional values and around the president, it is easier for us to do this,” D. Peskov assured.
A transformation is needed
In turn, according to “Politico”, the Russian dictator will seek to preserve the stability of the regime after his inauguration.
The Russian dictator shows no sign of wanting to deviate from the path of destruction of Ukraine, repression at home and hostility to the West, Politico writes.
“V. Putin’s most important goal is to produce more weapons, maintain a stable economy, protect it from sanctions and seek inflation,” explained the political analysis company “R. Politik” founder Tatiana Stanovaja. “We should not expect this policy direction to be changed.”
But according to Politico, the amount of change at the start of Russia’s new leader’s term will show whether Putin is willing to abandon old habits to secure the future of his regime.
Chatham House consultant Nikolai Petrov explained that V. Putin has traditionally used two models of governance.
On the one hand, the Russian dictator relied on an old guard of trusted friends and acquaintances – Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. On the other hand, he relied on loyal technocrats such as Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Russian Central Bank Governor Elvyra Nabiulina.
But according to Politico, that course of action looks increasingly unlikely as some of Putin’s key associates are now in their 70s or older.
“The time has come for V. Putin’s generation to leave the political scene, but the strange politicians who have them are not ready yet,” V. Petrovs explained to Politico. “The system is facing a serious problem and we will see how it will be solved or if it will just be an attempt to buy time.”
“If V. Putin wants to keep his system, he has to change it,” agreed political analyst Abbas Galiamov.
Unexpected changes
A. Galiamov drew attention to the recent shocking arrest of Deputy Defense Minister Timūrs Ivanovs. According to him, this could have been a signal that V. Putin is ready to “shake the foundations of the system”.
That would be a major departure from the old operating order that allowed Shoigu to retain the post of defense chief despite slow progress in Ukraine.
In recent years, the Kremlin has tended to choose candidates who were considered easy to control, and qualifications for a particular job were not as important. The individuals were selected from the family members of V. Putin’s former bodyguards, or already existing politicians, Politico writes.
As a result, Dmitry Patrushev, the son of Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, has been named as someone who could be promoted in the upcoming reshuffle by Putin, according to Politico.
T. Stanovaya claimed that surprises in the transformation of the Russian system may arise due to the fact that unknown “young and fierce” politicians with military experience will be appointed to political posts in Ukraine.
“V. Putin has publicly stated that he sees them as the real elite that must eventually replace the current elite,” she explained, arguing that any changes Putin makes are likely to be limited and swift, as he seeks to ensure that senior officials would continue to work smoothly.
Based on information from The Washington Post and Politico.
Tags: inauguration Putin warnings
-
