Dmitry Medvedev sworn in as the new Russian president in a solemn ceremony in Moscow's Kremlin on May 7, receiving the symbols of the head of state, the presidential flag, badge and nuclear code case from his predecessor Vladimir Putin. Medvedev, 43, has become the youngest president in Russian history. Meanwhile, Putin is expected to take the post of prime minister on May 8. Though quite a lot of analyses have been made about the Putin-Medvedev combo, how they will adapt to the new roles still remains an issue of wide attention.
Objectively speaking, the new Russian leaders face not so many challenges in enforcing their domestic and foreign policies. Medvedev had made it clear during his presidential campaign that if he was elected president, he would adhere to Putin'line that had been proved effective. At the same time, public opinions hold that Putin, who have agreed to head the United Russia Party and receive the offer by Medvedev to take the post of prime minister, still owns sufficient political resources, which would fully guarantees the efficient enforcement of his own (political) line.
In domestic affairs, the combo will continue to priortize areas concerning the livelihood, i.e. education, health care, housing and agriculture. Russia will commit itself to the development of a renovation-oriented economy in the coming years. Curbing prices hike and increasing citizens' income are urgent, practical issues for the government to address.
In the sphere of external affairs, Medvedev has promised to pursue the independent foreign policy Russia had upheld in the past eight years. He will continue to beef up Russia's impact on the international arena and defend the country's national interests. Developing the relations with neighboring counties is also regarded as a priority.
Medvedev announced on April 29 that he would visit Kazakhstan and China after he was sworn in as the president. This decision of his is not made incidentally under the situation that Western counties had repeatedly disregarded Russia'national interests, Vladimir Zharihin, deputy director of Institute of CIS, noted in an article published on Russian newspaper Kommersant on May 6. Russia is expected to hold a military parade on the Victory Day on the magnificent Red Square May 9, in which it will display heavy-type weaponry. This is a strong signal given to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, which has been eager and anxious to expand military bases toward the Russian borders.
At present, some Western nations have taken more interest in such issues as whether the combo will lead to the emergence of a dual rule. At present, both Putin and Medvedev had placed themselves in the right, appropriate positions. Instead of forming a dual leadership, he and Putin will attend to their own duties and exhibit high efficiency, Medvedev said in March. Putin also said that it is hazardous to limit the scope of powers of the president, as Russia needs a strong president. Putin said if he took the post of the prime minister, he would exercise the rights as endowed by the constitution and relevant laws governing the head of government, and focus on economic and social issues.
On May 5, Vladmir Putin chaired the last cabinet meeting of his term, during which he made it clear that "the regime should work as an absolutely unified and harmonious institution" and he also voiced his conviction that "the cooperation between presidential executive office and government institution will get increasingly more closer."
Varied signs have shown that Medvedv and Putin had begun preparing to adapt to their new roles long before. Setting up their own think tanks is just a case in point. On March 18, Medvedev's think tank, the Research Institute of Modern Development, was inaugurated with the main task of studying the strategic issues of national development. And the think tank of the Russia government, the analysis center, has been in formal operation, too. It will hold regular talks or discussions about various aspects of the government economic work. It seems both of them are confident to make the "alliance between the powerfuls" release the maximal energy. So, Russia will also usher in an unprecedented new era.
By People's Daily Online
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