Dmitry Medvedev was elected president 2 years ago, on March 2nd 2008. Young and energetic, he was quick to earn the reputation of a good politician. His first serious trial was the 2008 war in the Caucasus. Without hesitation he dispatched troops to protect Russian nationals in South Ossetia against Georgian invaders. Two years on, people both in Russia and abroad see Dmitry Medvedev as a self-sufficient leader, with clear vision and the unmistakable ability to put his agenda into practice.
On taking office, President Medvedev presented himself as a successor to Vladimir Putin. The announcement triggered a lot of speculation to the effect that the new president would stay in the prime minister's shadow. In practice, it signaled continuity. Instead of crushing what had been built before him President Medvedev opted for building up on it and the Medvedev-Putin tandem proved viable on many occasions.
Dmitry Medvedev went on to develop his predecessor's foreign policy concept, national security doctrine and economic modernization to meet his own vision. Despite the economic crisis, he pushed on with economic reforms and transition to innovation-based economy. He then went on to replace the governors, reform the Interior Ministry and fight corruption. This was clearly at contrast with reforms as seen by the government before Medvedev. President of National Strategy Institute Mikhail Remizov has this to say:
"Dmitry Medvedev requires top government officials to bear responsibility for the results of their professional performance, he says. Government officials should answer for failures in the work of people under them. The president thereby sent a clear message that loyalty and integration into joint projects are not enough for a high-ranking official to keep his job".
Such a progressive move was largely due to public pressure. After proclaiming more government transparency two years ago, Dmitry Medvedev was the first to show the way:
"As a competent Internet user, President Medvedev picks information directly from on-line news, analytical reports or private blogs. But, like any big person, he runs the risk of getting what his entourage selects for him. From the very start he knew about it and made it a point to avoid I".
President Medvedev is pursuing a wide range of objectives in humanitarian, environmental, economic and political areas. This makes sense given the political and economic situation in Russia which calls for a comprehensive approach. But there is yet a long way to go to see the presidential initiatives fulfilled as originally planned.
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