(opinion) of Interview to Sergei Andreev, with the last in public elected mayor Tolyatti

the Political scientist, the expert the PRISP Center Belenky Arseny has a talk with one of the few in recent years independent mayors to Russian Federation, the ex-mayor Tolyatti Sergei Andreev - how local activity could recover country party political system.

For the reference:

Sergei Andreev — the mayor of the city district Tolyatti (2012 — 2017) leader of social movement "December", active participant of parties of Union of Right Forces and "Right Cause" Party. Twice – in 2008 and 2011 — moved forward on a post of the mayor Tolyatti. In 2012 became the fourth mayor Tolyatti in two rounds. In the 1st round collected 32% of votes and took the 2nd place. Sergei Andreev surely won against the candidate the second round from "United Russia" Party, having collected about 56% of votes. Since April, 2018 — director general the special economic zone "Tolyatti".

- Sergei Andreev, in your opinion, whether is today at party system of the country potential for changes or for reset?

- First, me it seems that the party system is extremely noncompetitive, is not flexible. In my opinion, the political system has to play a role of a certain locomotive and the engine, and in our case (as spoke in Soviet period) — it is a driving belt from executive power. In foreseeable prospect of change from above are possible at readiness of the higher executive power to start the new project (it is admissible, right) and as in a family happens, after 18 years not to climb any more in life of the child because all other options will end with frailty and creation of one more semi-driving belt - for no reason at all, with absolutely unclear functions.

the Second option — this movement from below which cannot quickly pass: only in process of growth of such social fabrics in the country, abilities of people solidary to operate on an example of solutions of any city problems. In this case, when weakening administrative pressure on elections, removal of unreal competitive conditions (the same municipal filter on regional elections — is an insuperable barrier), people can start acting solidary on local, regional level, and then — at the level of the country. And if these barriers remain, process will be dragged out.

- If to follow the second part of what you speak, after all the parliamentarism institute is necessary to people, and in any foreseeable prospect here this local activity can "loosen" it? Whether there will be in our parliament new parties following the results of elections of 2021?

- to Society it is critical the parliamentarism institute if we speak about modern and a little competitive society which would be flexible, adaptive and that at some instant everything did not fail, as in due time Soviet Union which could not be adaptive is necessary. It seems to me, parliamentarism institute just and it helps society to be adjusted.

the Situation can exchange as in the short term (2-3 years) there is a soil for project start from above. And here the 2011th year with "Right Cause" Party — it such, the most indicative, fresh. "Right Cause" Party was the large player at the federal level, collected regional leaders, such as Elizabeth Glinka, Yevgeny Roizman and, for example, me, Sergei Andreev from Tolyatti. It is absolutely sure that the party Mikhail Prokhorov then easily would break a 7 percent barrier in the Duma elections or maybe would receive all 10%. I proceed their of that Mikhail Prokhorov gained 8% at presidential election, each candidate from the party would "smoke" plus in the area even more actively, seeking to receive the mandate for itself. Besides, we understand that this project appeared including thanks to elite efforts of certain groups. And then it everything suddenly was not pleasant to them. The same was and with "Civic Platform" Party: there was a project but as soon as proposed two candidates in governors who in the slightest degree could create at any awfully great combination of circumstances a situation of the second round, them right there tormoznuli at a registration stage.

- From the electoral point of view there are still prospects for right-wing party?

- it is Absolutely sure — the further, the them will be more. The isolationism deadlock becomes more clear. Here two options: the part of people will leave, and those who remains, will think of real any possible representation. The problem of contractual capacity of the right leaders with individualistic values which as the fate pursues them, since Union of Right Forces and "Apple" is known. Sometimes they are able to agree or find in itself abilities to agree (it, besides, a subject, probably, any separate analysis: that to it promotes). The success of Union of Right Forces in the 1999th year was in many respects caused by support of the authorities, but Kiriyenko with Hakamada, Nemtsov and Chubais though all of them different, but agreed and went one front, instead of everyone separately. The Union of Right Forces and "Apple" gained in Moscow 10% when united during elective campaign in Moscow City Duma. And here during the current campaign for elections of the mayor Moscow more or less significant oppositional leaders showed inability to work solidary. It obviously shows: when it is possible to be consolidated — despite a difference in views, maybe, in minor, and somewhere even in paramount questions, but, nevertheless, when leaders show ability to find any compromise for the sake of achievement of a common goal, here then something and turns out.

- And what today you see the leader of right-wing party?

- the First option: there is any leader with higher rating, than at other politicians, such conditional Mikhail Prokhorov-2, really successful, original any businessman who the life proved that it is successful, and round it all start uniting. In this case all candidates with a conditional rating in 0,5% understand that "at it obviously seven or eight, and it is better for us 0,5 to add there the". It is a certain point of bifurcation round what all start uniting.

Second option: there is not a businessman, and supermegamoral authority as Sakharov of the end of the 80th years when all know that the person paid the price for the belief (for example, lived in the closed city of Gorky without external communications). That is or now there will be any personality, or will wait for years 10-15 while in regions there will be here these leaders, opportunity will be real them to prove, there will be no protecting barriers regarding policy. After all the same municipal filter — it at all a funnel, is a stopper such deaf, a corkscrew, anything you will not pick out it, it simply deaf. I do not know, whether there is in any region Russian Federation at any party, except "United Russia" Party, necessary number of deputies? It seems to me, together even all three parliamentary parties do not have them.

- If we speak about appearance of the new leaders, what conditions you would call to intensify it process (we already spoke about cancellation of the municipal filter)?

- This process can accelerate opportunity return for public organizations of the right for participation in elections at municipal level. So, ODES "December" won to Tolyatti when for public associations there was a possibility of participation in municipal elections along with parties; and it was provided in the law till 2009th year. If at the moment social movements with participation in elections at municipal level could form lists on an equal basis with parties, the real competition would be of municipalities of the large cities at the level. Besides, similar practice would promote transformation of existing party system as people who look at any city problems not from the point of view of "left" would come to policy, "right" and "centrists", and from the point of view of public interest which needs to be defended publicly, publicly to compete, publicly to discuss.

- we Can stop in more detail on this moment? Meaning that after all since then, in general, we saw ten years of quite intensive growth here this local activism, and we speak not only about kitties, doggies, protection of water spaces and so on, and quite to ourselves about such activism which is based on a protest: protection, upholding of interests of truck drivers (Platon project), protests against garbage dumps, ranges and so on. You see now if not to say in a conditional inclination, what now we can return this provision of the law?

- When on dumps situated near Moscow there come political leaders, a priori people think: "Here you arrived to seize the moment because you was here earlier when this legislation was formed when all these decisions were made. You did not work in a daily mode, you arrived when here everything already burns, smells, stinks. We do not trust you". And if there is a public structure which cannot be suspected in any "political interest", your voices on elections in State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, their main work — it at all elections, their main work — this solution of your city problems are not necessary to them today. And then, when there will be elections in your municipality, this structure can along with political apply in lots for the mandate according to party lists. Here then — "A Just Russia" Party in general somewhere vanishes at us, Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, probably, remains with communists, as always. But something will appear more live.

- And here according to the ideological contents, what it for public structures?

are structures which will be based on self-organization of citizens, on readiness of people to work solidary under the responsibility, independently. Upholding of interests before institute of the state will correspond to more right ideas when people will tell: "Give, you the state, be strong, and we will solve the problems, even more taxes are not necessary to take away from us, do not take away from us money that then to redistribute them, leave them to us, and the economy will move forward". Because people will independently achieve result, to work solidary, in my understanding it can become then quite good base for the Right-wing liberal ideas. Though, of course, I agree with the thesis that the country we "left": here everything to divide this aspiration, to redistribute once again, and the paternalism at us is historically hammered. It is a difficult way of overcoming of this ideal. We have not enough such experience, and here such public structures at the level of municipality help to gain, believe this experience in own forces and to understand that can be in a different way. The same city activists will understand sooner or later that many problems which they face, in a root have the political nature, and that to them without representation, by and large, not to change anything. Perhaps you will defend one more square, but while you will defend this square, there will be twenty more problem places. And, while you legislatively with these squares will not think up something, and "will beat on tails". Here this understanding can come, and has to come.

- And as far as these local activists can pass from the purely public field into the political? After all now there is this distance when people defend the yard, the dump, still any problems, but do not go to policy.

- I Think that as they will gain unsuccessful experience of upholding of the interests, they will understand that the phrase "if you do not politicize, the policy will be engaged in you" has a direct bearing on them. Here that decision which led to that the dump is here, instead of in other place, is accepted the power, form which you could, had opportunity, but you ignored it or did, without penetrating strongly into what decision is made on delegation of powers to this or that representative. It too a question of experience which while is not enough. There is a communication meanwhile as you vote and as you live. If the significant percent of citizens does not pay to this question due attention, time and forces (to understand, understand, formulate the position) — that subsequently we and we live in compliance with found time and forces.

that the situation with powers and resources at the level of municipalities and, in general, the lowest level of local government, is complete that there is nothing to select at them more, and it appeared - is that. Reaction even on politically sharp things connected with cancellation of elections of mayors, was not, by and large. But after all it can reach to the point of absurdity when the institute of local government (even on the smallest questions) will simply disappear, and it will have no consequences?

is as sensitivity loss in an organism, after all pain — is very important element, pain gives a signal, and if you ceased to feel pain, it does not mean yet that you are absolutely healthy. Probably, to you stuck a good dose of drugs therefore you do not feel; you could have something to nervous system. Therefore it is good precisely will not end because without the effective local local government responsible before people, instead of before chiefs who appointed, and thus independent local government which is not compelled to look back constantly towards the regional power, there cannot be a successful country. There cannot be successful Russian Federation, the large country. Small, maybe, could be if we had all country as Vologda Region or any one region — then yes. And such huge country it will not be simple a priori effective, it is impossible to operate effectively all from any one center, even regional if there is no variety, there will be no responsibility, independence. But atomism — so, apparently, is called this phenomenon when people do not act solidary, are closed in itself — atomization gains such menacing character and leads to such illness when we do not feel pain, we at all do not understand, we do not resist. The majority of inhabitants does not understand importance of these processes, has no this knowledge, has no this experience.

Author: TLTgorod