Putin: Extraordinary Prime Minister is never afraid to say what he wants to say (Figure)
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The Prime Minister-the President-the Prime Minister, who accomplished this cycle smartly, seems to have returned to the original starting point. But this time, he is closer to the Russian dream.
"Tough guy" Putin rarely "smiles childishly", although sunglasses block his most vivid expression. Agence France-Presse
His annual salary is only $74,000, which is rather shabby compared with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s high income of more than $2 million, but he thinks he is not only the richest man in Europe, but also in the world. At the press conference in early 2008, he made a deep confession: "My wealth is that the Russian people asked me to lead this country twice."
The way of judo, the way of governing the country
He is only 170 cm tall, but he is the most attractive man in Russia. The song "Marry someone like Putin" has been sung all over the streets. In the middle of the year, a tabloid revealed that he had secretly divorced and was about to marry Kabayeva, a gymnastics beauty, which made him furious. On July 28th, he and his caring wife lyudmila ushered in the silver wedding anniversary, and all the rumors were broken.
He is one of the busiest politicians in the world and laughs at himself as a "never-ending rowing slave on a sailboat", but he is obsessed with sports and has a special liking for judo. October 7th this year is his 56th birthday. As the honorary president of the International Judo Federation, he attended the release ceremony of the teaching film "Learn Judo from Putin". In the film, he personally demonstrated judo skills, introduced the history of judo, and explained the essence of judo: "This is a noble, tolerant and mutual aid sport, because the basic principles of judo are completely in line with an inclusive society."
When the financial tsunami struck, Russia, whose economic engine was oil and gas export, suffered a heavy blow. However, authoritative polls in November showed that 80% of Russians still firmly believed in the development direction of their country, and that Putin was the most wise leader of the country in the past 100 years, whether he was president or prime minister.
Low-key handover is as tacit as ever.
In May this year, Putin quietly moved out of the Kremlin, "only taking a pen".
However, there are only 27 hours for an official to be light-skinned. The Duma passed the nomination of his prime minister by a high vote, and he stepped into the prime minister’s office in the White House on the Moscow River non-stop.
The word "Mapp combination" instantly swept Russia.
At that time, Yeltsin, who was old, handed over stormy Russia to Putin. Many people said that Putin was definitely just a puppet, but it turned out that they were wrong.
Eight years later, Medvedev dragged Putin’s long shadow to the top of state power, and people inevitably wondered: Is Putin willing to obey this schoolmate who is 14 years younger than him? Will Medvedev abandon Putin when he is in power?
Now, all doubts have vanished.
Putin is the prime minister and the first hero of Medvedev’s election as president. The United Russia Party, which he chairs, occupies 315 of the 450 seats in the Duma. If he is a power lover, he can use the party to control the parliament, amend the constitution and even impeach the president, but he has not done so. His statement hit the floor: "I will not be president before 2012."
Every time he appears in public with Medvedev, Putin is very low-key, never steals the limelight, and respects Medvedev’s presidential authority everywhere.
Chechen President Kadyrov renamed Victory Street in Grozny Putin Street to celebrate his birthday. He immediately asked the spokesman to respond, saying that although he had no right to influence local decision-making, he did not want similar situations to happen again.
And Medvedev, who was chosen by his eye, did not live up to expectations. The cooperation between him and Putin in internal affairs and diplomacy is quite tacit. The Mapp combination has withstood the tests of NATO’s eastward expansion, the deployment of missile defense system by the United States in Europe, and the war in the South Caucasus, and the government has operated diligently and maturely.
Medvedev often emphasizes that he and Putin have cooperated well and each has his own duties. Instead of forming a dual regime, he will show high efficiency.
The prestige of the general’s transposition is undiminished
As prime minister, Putin focuses on the management of the national economy and people’s livelihood. The growth rate of Russian economy this year is expected to be 6.8% ~ 6.9%, which is a rare answer. In the current financial crisis, he resolutely announced that no matter what the situation is, the Russian government will not change its investment plans involving housing, medical care and education, nor will it cut wages and pensions.
The generals have been transferred, but Putin’s prestige has not diminished at all, and so has it internationally. At the last meeting in Sochi this year, Bush praised Putin as a "strong leader" and "never afraid to say what he wants to say".
Swinging Buick Palace and returning to the White House, the prime minister’s career is not completely unfamiliar to Putin. More than eight years ago, it was from here that he entered the Keke Palace and was transformed from the Prime Minister into the President. However, returning to the old place after eight years is not what it used to be. Eight years ago, Russians thought he was a mystery by being unsmiling and nameless. Now, he has been molded into a god to a great extent. It is believed that he will make a comeback in 2012 and return to Keke Palace. Because everyone still remembers his rhetoric in those days: "Give me 20 years and give you a brand-new Russia."
Vanity Fair, a famous American fashion magazine, pushed Putin to the first place among the 100 most influential people in the world in 2008. The reason is simple. He revived the Russian economy, paid off huge foreign debts, rebuilt the army, restored the pride of the Chinese people, and regained Russia’s international influence … (Reporter from the International Herald Tribune, Tong Shifen, from Beijing)
Editor: Wang Yuxi