[President Medvedev has made it clear that as the head of state, he regards anti-crisis policy as his responsibility. Two topics stood out in his interview: ruble devaluation and rising unemployment. He also noted the need for oversight with regard to the state funding allocated to support the economy.]
The subtext of President Dmitri Medvedev's interview turned out to be much broader than what he actually said on air. Over the past few months (starting sometime around the G20 summit in Washington last November) it's been hard not to notice that the main source of news about anti-crisis efforts is the federal government and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. When all is going well, that's exactly how things should be: the economy is the government's responsibility. But an economic downturn is a different matter. Surely this was a lesson we learned in the 1990s: political consensus is an important factor in working out anti-crisis actions. So far, Medvedev and Putin have given us no reason to assume that they have any disagreements about economic policy. Still, Putin's primacy in news-making has sometimes left us wondering what the president thinks about any given issue, and where the center of responsibility for policy-making really lies.
Medvedev's interview has set us straight. He made it clear that as the head of state, he regards anti-crisis policy as his responsibility.
Two topics stood out in Medvedev's interview: ruble devaluation and rising unemployment.
Medvedev expressed full support for the Central Bank's actions in weakening the ruble. He emphasized that the Central Bank will monitor the exchange rate, "preventing any abrupt shifts."
Medvedev described rising unemployment as "probably the biggest problem, and the most painful issue we face today." He focused on taking specific steps, saying "the most important thing is to prepare normal measures." Overall, there are three "normal" measures: increasing unemployment benefits, opening new industrial enterprises, and running retraining programs.
Medvedev also noted the need for oversight with regard to the state funding allocated to support the economy. He said that the authorities have established "a normal oversight system."
According to Medvedev, economic development forecasts "are indeed gloomy," although the situation is "fairly understandable and manageable" overall. Medvedev said that we should be stoical about the crisis: "Everything will be normal. Everyone should work and do their duty in their own place. Do it in good faith, honestly, without hiding - and then all will be well." Most likely, those last words weren't addressed to ordinary television viewers alone.
Translated by InterContact
