Professor Dutkiewicz recently attended the 8th Annual Valdai International Discussion Club in Moscow, from November 7-11. The theme of the conference was “The 2011-2012 Elections and the Future of Russia: Development Scenarios for the Next 5-8 Years.”
Below is an excerpt from Prof. Dutkiewicz’s conversation with Mr. Putin.
Piotr Dutkiewicz (professor of Political Science, Director of the Centre for Governance and Public Policy at Carleton University, Ottawa): Good afternoon, Mr Putin. We are talking today not only to the Russian prime minister but also to a presidential candidate. I would like to ask you in what way will President Putin be different from the Vladimir Putin of his first presidency. What will he be different from the president we knew between 2000 and 2008? As you surely know, a TV series is good when it has new storylines and new faces. I would like to ask you what new faces and storylines do you see in Russia’s future?
Vladimir Putin: First, Mr Dutkiewicz, I assure you that Vladimir Putin has no split personality just as, I hope, nobody in this room has. You are talking about one person. However, you have every reason to ask your question, considering the upcoming elections. I would like to say this: there are essential things that should not be changed and that cannot change. We are talking about the election of a head of state, so I hope you will excuse me if I use grand words.
There are certain essential things – inviolable things. That is patriotism; the desire to do as much as possible for one’s fellow countrymen; and the improvement of their life through economic growth, its high rates, and domestic and external security. But how should we achieve such a result? To be sure, my colleagues’ opinions and mine, for that matter, cannot but alter over time because we live in a changing world, as I have said. So it is necessary to change methods, ways and means, and approaches to those problems – and, of course, we have to change with them. But I have said already that we have a national development programme, and we will work to implement it. In that, we certainly see how the public mentality is changing, how relations between the public and the authorities change, and how interethnic relations proceed for example. We can see what demands people are making on the authorities with easier access to information technology and with better access to information, and we see how the authorities should respond to all that. Of course, we are aware of this and there will be – there have been – changes in this respect. I have changed my approach to these problems. I believe my colleagues have changed it, too.
Piotr Dutkiewicz: Thank you.