EDITORIAL: The rise of Medvedev

It has been two years since Russia started its "two-headed" political system, with former President Vladimir Putin remaining in power as prime minister. President Dmitry Medvedev has reached the halfway mark of his four-year presidency, and now we are seeing clear changes in his governance.

The president, not the high-handed prime minister, is taking the initiative to use a soft approach to implement policies that seek to overcome the time-worn habits of the old Soviet days.

This is something worth watching closely.

In the administration's early days, Putin had overwhelming power. The economic growth that Russia experienced during the eight years of his presidency secured his popularity among the people.

However, the situation underwent a drastic about-face due to the global financial crisis that soon followed.

Russia is among the world's leaders in terms of oil and natural-gas reserves, and its economy was buoyed by booming oil and gas prices. When those prices plummeted, the Russian economy suffered with it. Recovery was slow, and among the emerging BRIC economies that had been pushing the world economy forward, Russia alone was left behind by China, India and Brazil.

The Putin method of governance was to put major areas of the economy, like energy resources, under government control and use them as a lever for exerting diplomatic influence. He also exerted authoritarian power to clamp down on opposition parties and the media to maintain national stability.

In times of military conflict, with Georgia for example, Putin forcibly dictated Russia's position even at the cost of antagonizing the international community, including the United States and Europe. It is clear that the Putin-style of politics is now up against a wall.

In contrast, Medvedev is trying to turn the crisis into an opportunity for reform. In economic policy, he is attempting to escape dependence on natural resources and seeks to diversify and modernize. In foreign policy, he is calling for collaboration with the international community.

In fact, while Putin has his hands full with the economic crisis, Medvedev has begun to grapple with corruption, a thing that might be called Russia's chronic disease. Medvedev even tore into Russia's security services, a Putin stronghold, by drastically cutting the number of top Interior Ministry officials.

Putin's influence remains strong, as he has close aides and allies in key government positions. He has not quite loosened his control over the opposition and the media, nor has he changed his attitude of viewing former Soviet states as his sphere of influence.

However, it seems certain that of the two strains within the Russian government, it is the Medvedev style that is gaining strength.

The president agreed with U.S. President Barack Obama to restart their bilateral relationship and to reduce additional strategic nuclear weapons. The improvement of Russia's relations with the West came to fruition when American, British and French troops all took part in the ceremony marking the 65th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany.

Russia is now eager to adopt foreign investment and technologies. It is also paying close attention to the rapidly growing economies of the Asia-Pacific.

Russia is especially eager to bring in investment and skills from Japan for Siberian and Far East development projects. And in an East Asian region with problems, such as the burgeoning rise of China and North Korea's nuclear program, creating a multilayered cooperative relationship with Russia is an important issue for Japan.

We should respond to Russia's actions flexibly, bearing in mind the overall picture.

--The Asahi Shimbun, May 17