Out of the many figures the latest wave of anti-Kremlin demonstrations has boosted to greater public prominence, perhaps the least likely is former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin. Appearing at last Saturday's mass rally in central Moscow and speaking up in recent weeks about the need for political change, Kudrin has raised many eyebrows. A longtime Putin loyalist and token technocrat, many are skeptical of his motives. Experts, meanwhile, remain split over his utility for the burgeoning protest movement. Kudrin is one of the last people one would imagine to attend a mass opposition rally. A key member of Vladimir Putin's regime, he was the guiding light behind the economic policy that helped recreate Russia as a global financial power and produced a new, burgeoning middle class. Moreover, Kudrin and the prime minister go way back; since their days working together in the St. Petersburg's city hall of the 1990s, under then-Mayor Anatoly Sobchak, the two sprouted a close friendship that would last throughout Putin's reign.
Yet things seemed to change in September, when President Dmitry Medvedev announced he would step aside to make way for Putin to almost certainly reclaim the presidency. Kudrin announced his resignation after a public brush-up with Medvedev over defense spending, noting that he had no desire to work in a cabinet run by Medvedev (should the latter become prime minister). Fast forward to mid-December: Kudrin announced in an interview with Russian media that he was interested in creating a new liberal party, and may or may not cooperate with billionaire-cum-politician Mikhail Prokhorov on the matter. Even before that, however, he had denounced United Russia as an unviable political party.
And on Prospect Sakharova, the scene of the largest anti-Putin rally to date, he reaffirmed his newfound position and called for new, able leadership in the government. "There are a lot of slogans here but less action," Kudrin said at the rally. "You cannot simply talk. You need to start doing something...the creation of a platform for dialogue is needed. Otherwise there will be a revolution; otherwise we lose the opportunity before us today for the peaceful transformation and the trust that are necessary for a new leadership that will be elected."
Still, many protesters remained highly skeptical of the former finance minister's appearance, as Kudrin was among the few figures, along with Prokhorov, who was received perhaps less than warmly by the crowds. Following the protests, in a December 27 interview with Vedomosti, Kudrin attempted to cast himself as the mediator between the opposition and the authorities, parlaying his credentials with the ruling elite to build a bridge between the streets and the Kremlin a step he deems as necessary to produce change. In fact, he claimed, he had already spoken to Putin about the idea, which the prime minister reportedly claimed was "possible."
All this, however, raises serious questions. On the one hand, Putin still refers to Kudrin as a close friend, but on the other, the former technocrat has publicly sought to stray from the system of which he was a part for more than a decade. So where do his loyalties lie? Experts said Kudrin had never intended to paint himself as an opposition leader. Rather, said Nikolay Petrov of Moscow's Carnegie Center, the former minister represents a necessary and crucial link to the authorities especially since protesters are looking for a potential peaceful transfer of power.
"He is not and will not be greeted by the crowds, but this is not needed," said Petrov. "If only it will be possible for him to help both sides to reach a reasonable compromise, then it's not very important whether you like him or hate him, but you should trust him because if he will represent Putin in these negotiations, then you can be sure his connections to Putin are direct and close."
Others, however, remain skeptical of Kudrin's ability even as a self-styled moderator to effect any worthwhile change in the system. According to Alexei Mukhin, the head of the Center for Political Information, Kudrin, "whether he likes it or not, is committing himself as part of the Kremlin's special project," by seeking to create a liberal party which could be hijacked by the Kremlin to channel any further protest potential. "Alexei Kudrin is, in any case, a man of the system," he said, "and despite the fact that he's positioning himself as this independent expert, he remains in the system, and, above all, will still likely work in its interests."
Out of the many figures the latest wave of anti-Kremlin demonstrations has boosted to greater public prominence, perhaps the least likely is former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin. Appearing at last Saturday's mass rally in central Moscow and speaking up in recent weeks about the need for political change, Kudrin has raised many eyebrows. A longtime Putin loyalist and token technocrat, many are skeptical of his motives. Experts, meanwhile, remain split over his utility for the burgeoning protest movement.
Kudrin is one of the last people one would imagine to attend a mass opposition rally. A key member of Vladimir Putin's regime, he was the guiding light behind the economic policy that helped recreate Russia as a global financial power and produced a new, burgeoning middle class. Moreover, Kudrin and the prime minister go way back; since their days working together in the St. Petersburg's city hall of the 1990s, under then-Mayor Anatoly Sobchak, the two sprouted a close friendship that would last throughout Putin's reign.
Yet things seemed to change in September, when President Dmitry Medvedev announced he would step aside to make way for Putin to almost certainly reclaim the presidency. Kudrin announced his resignation after a public brush-up with Medvedev over defense spending, noting that he had no desire to work in a cabinet run by Medvedev (should the latter become prime minister). Fast forward to mid-December: Kudrin announced in an interview with Russian media that he was interested in creating a new liberal party, and may or may not cooperate with billionaire-cum-politician Mikhail Prokhorov on the matter. Even before that, however, he had denounced United Russia as an unviable political party.
And on Prospect Sakharova, the scene of the largest anti-Putin rally to date, he reaffirmed his newfound position and called for new, able leadership in the government. "There are a lot of slogans here but less action," Kudrin said at the rally. "You cannot simply talk. You need to start doing something...the creation of a platform for dialogue is needed. Otherwise there will be a revolution; otherwise we lose the opportunity before us today for the peaceful transformation and the trust that are necessary for a new leadership that will be elected."
Still, many protesters remained highly skeptical of the former finance minister's appearance, as Kudrin was among the few figures, along with Prokhorov, who was received perhaps less than warmly by the crowds. Following the protests, in a December 27 interview with Vedomosti, Kudrin attempted to cast himself as the mediator between the opposition and the authorities, parlaying his credentials with the ruling elite to build a bridge between the streets and the Kremlin a step he deems as necessary to produce change. In fact, he claimed, he had already spoken to Putin about the idea, which the prime minister reportedly claimed was "possible."
All this, however, raises serious questions. On the one hand, Putin still refers to Kudrin as a close friend, but on the other, the former technocrat has publicly sought to stray from the system of which he was a part for more than a decade. So where do his loyalties lie? Experts said Kudrin had never intended to paint himself as an opposition leader. Rather, said Nikolay Petrov of Moscow's Carnegie Center, the former minister represents a necessary and crucial link to the authorities especially since protesters are looking for a potential peaceful transfer of power.
"He is not and will not be greeted by the crowds, but this is not needed," said Petrov. "If only it will be possible for him to help both sides to reach a reasonable compromise, then it's not very important whether you like him or hate him, but you should trust him because if he will represent Putin in these negotiations, then you can be sure his connections to Putin are direct and close."
Others, however, remain skeptical of Kudrin's ability even as a self-styled moderator to effect any worthwhile change in the system. According to Alexei Mukhin, the head of the Center for Political Information, Kudrin, "whether he likes it or not, is committing himself as part of the Kremlin's special project," by seeking to create a liberal party which could be hijacked by the Kremlin to channel any further protest potential. "Alexei Kudrin is, in any case, a man of the system," he said, "and despite the fact that he's positioning himself as this independent expert, he remains in the system, and, above all, will still likely work in its interests."