In 1998, Vladimir 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 approved for the post of 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.
B. V. Putin was elected head of state on March 26, 2000 and assumed his duties on May 7, 2000. Vladimir Vladimirovich was elected for a second term on March 14, 2004 (until 2008). On May 7, 2008, he ceased to perform the duties of the president and became chairman of the United Russia party. And the very next day, the new head of state, Dmitry Medvedev, signed a statement appointing Putin as prime minister. But already in 2012, the politician again returned to the post of president of the country.
Briefly about Vladimir Putin's foreign policy
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 thisagreement, reads as follows: "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 has taken part in the G8 summits. The politician spoke in Okinawa (Japan), 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 Tarabarov Island and the Big Ussuri Island. The President often declares to the public and journalists that he considers the destruction of the USSR 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 busy with the country's domestic policy. In the same year, he repealed Yeltsin's production sharing law.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 this abolition that led the Russian Federation to true independence, and also marked the beginning of the country's sovereignty. But this position of the state 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 carried out in the police and the FSB, and counter-terrorism measures were strengthened.
Putin's foreign policy, summarized by us in the article, for 2016 turned out to be difficult: and the unresolved conflict onterritory of Ukraine, and 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, the foreign policy of President Putin finally departed from the international strategy of the first president of Russia. That same year, at the Munich Conference on Security and Policies in Europe, the president delivered a speech that was quoted by the media around the world. The statement consisted of the following theses:
- 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 issue of the need for military intervention is decided only by the UN.
- The political actions of the US and the president himself are very aggressive.
- NATO does not comply with international agreements.
- OSCE is a handy tool for bringing benefits to the Northern Alliance.
- Russia will continue to conduct foreign policy solely in its own 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.
Internal policy of the head of the board of the Russian Federation
When Putin was still prime minister, in 1999, he delivered an article en titled "Russia at the Turn of the Millennium." After this performance, his rating overtookYeltsin and amounted to 49%. In January 2000, people's trust in politics was already 55%.
When the new head of the board assumed the presidency of the state, 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 were clearly prescribed for the restoration and further development of the state, planned reforms and a political course were outlined.
Four basic principles that were voiced in Vladimir Vladimirovich's "Open Letter":
- active poverty alleviation;
- protecting the domestic market from criminal gangs and local oligarchs;
- revival of the national dignity of Russia and Russians;
- Putin's foreign policy as president should be built on the protection of national interests.
From that moment on, the government, headed by the president, began to fight against illegal oligarchs and actively supported medium and small businesses. In May 2000, the president began to carry out federal reform.
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 bring Russia out of the crisis. In accordance with federal legislation, the legalstate base. The legal space of the state was restored. A clear division of powers between local governments and regions was carried out. Decentralization of power has taken place in the country.
Domestic policy and social focus
Putin took a new path to solving social problems and called it "a course towards investing in people, which means - in the future of the country itself." The policy of the state has set the goal of improving and raising the standard of living of citizens. The process of restoring especially neglected areas has begun: agriculture, education, he althcare and housing.
About forty thousand units of diagnostic equipment and thirteen thousand ambulances were purchased. Approximately 1.3 million poor women in need and about 300,000 children received free medical care.
Improving the state's population growth
Thanks to new reforms in the field of he alth care and financial incentives for the birth rate, the demographic mark of the country has significantly improved. In 2010, the first holders of certificates were able to take advantage of financial assistance. About 314 thousand young mothers in 2010 received funds from the state. Aid has increased. Also, since 2010, social support benefits 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. Was inflicteda serious blow to 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 the same moment, serious problems were discovered in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. After the conflict in the North Caucasus was resolved, the Russian authorities improved the material support of the military, purchased modern weapons and carried out reforms in the army.
Prosperity of corruption in the state
Despite the positive development of the country's domestic policy, the president still fails to overcome and completely eradicate corruption. In 2007, about a thousand criminal cases were opened due to official bribes. To date, corruption in the public procurement system is about 300 million rubles, which is 10% of the total bribes. Despite all this, there is still no article on combating corruption in the legislation. Moreover, the laws of the Russian Federation do not even have a 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 them in any way. Many blame the government led by V. Putin for this.
The domestic and foreign policy, briefly reviewed by us, shows that the country's leadership has not created a single mechanism where a dialogue with the people would take place, the requests of the population would be heard, where residentscould take an active part in the development of their Fatherland. Changes in the electoral legislation increasingly separated the "tops" of society from the "bottoms". The power system is being monopolized.
V. Putin's policy: pros and cons
Putin's foreign policy in recent years has outpaced domestic policy in recent years. On the world stage, the Russian Federation is gaining an influential force. In order to reduce the influence of Vladimir Putin on other countries, the West is trying to introduce the Russian Federation into economic and political isolation. In 2014, attempts were made to exclude Russia from the G8.
Putin's domestic and foreign policy for the second and fourth presidential term becomes ambiguous. On the one hand, one can see the successful foreign policy of the state, and on the other hand, corruption nullifies all efforts. To eradicate this phenomenon in the country, Putin had more time than other rulers. But, unfortunately, corruption still exists.
