“The signing of the Charter has contributed to the development of local self-government institutions in Russia,” says Svetlana Orlova
In the framework of the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the signature of the European Charter of Local Self-Governement by the Russian Federation, Svetlana Orlova, Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council of the Russian Federal Assembly, describes the development of the local and regional democracy in the Russian Federation, and the future of the relationship between the Congress and the Russian Federation.
Interview, 11.04.2008
Question: It’s been ten years since the Russian Federation ratified the European Charter of Local Self-Government. How, in your opinion, has signing up to the Charter benefited Russia? What problems has it helped to resolve?
Svetlana Orlova: First and foremost, it has assisted the process of power-sharing. More than sixty Russian regions already have arrangements of this kind and hopefully, by the end of 2008 power-sharing will have been introduced in every region in the country. Today many regions are already adopting 3-year budgets with clearly defined powers and sources of financing.
The system of elected city mayors has been preserved, which is very important. Steps are being taken to address issues relating to the determination of boundaries of both municipal and city districts. Also very important is the fact that many municipalities and urban communities are headed by elected bodies: in other words, everything is decided by the inhabitants themselves. There have been 122 referenda on vital matters of local social and economic policy, i.e. the issues that concern people most.
It is difficult to overestimate the role that national projects and their implementation play in the life of the regions. I would like to draw your attention here to the new style of working ushered in by the Russian President-elect, Dmitry Medvedev, and which first became apparent when, as First Deputy Prime Minister, he took an active part in framing regional policy. Everyone remembers the speech he made at the opening of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities session in Moscow in 2006. The national projects which he supervised and which are implemented using federal budget funds have greatly helped to speed up the process of power-sharing and have been instrumental in resolving matters of vital social importance. Covering health care, education, housing, the development of agriculture and infrastructure, these “national projects” really do encompass all the most essential areas, which are of paramount importance to ordinary people.
Everyone who was at the conference will have observed how the monitoring report which Mr Medvedev commissioned from the Ministry of Regional Development aroused keen interest in the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. Many Congress members have recently visited Russia’s towns and regions, including Saratov, Samara, Kemerovo, Tatarstan, etc. Over the past two years, we have given successful presentations on Yakutia, Moscow and St Petersburg at the Palais de l’Europe in Strasbourg. Any observer will confirm that we are moving in the right direction and implementing the Charter of Local Self-Government.
Question: So much for the “plus” side. But what of the things that still remain to be done? What are the outstanding issues?
Svetlana Orlova: There are plenty of outstanding issues, most of them to do with administration, sources of financing and subsidiarity. There is a need to improve the level of education of municipal leaders. We make no secret of the fact that our problems are far from over. What matters, however, is that these problems are not insuperable and that we are working on them. Everyone at the conference noted that Russia has made tremendous strides in recent years. Remember the previous report on Russia, which was presented four years ago and in which we were heavily criticised for the slow pace of reform on power-sharing. I have to say that back then, four years ago, we did not agree with all the criticisms levelled, believing, as we did, that the process of power-sharing should not be forced. But that’s all in the past. Today even our critics concede that the process is going well.
Question: You say that four years ago, you did not agree with all of the criticism, but did it help nevertheless?
Svetlana Orlova: Of course it helped. In particular, it gave us a clearer insight into how to apply the principle of subsidiarity in practice. Generally speaking, it crystallised our understanding of the significance and role of local authorities. In the speech given 2 years ago at the opening of the Congress session in Moscow, which I have already mentioned, Dmitry Medvedev stated very clearly that power lies not so much in the Kremlin as in local communities. It was precisely this notion that guided us when implementing the provisions of the Charter of Local Self-Government. Look how effectively the city and municipal dumas have begun operating!
Question: Do Europeans have anything to learn from the Russian experience or is it still too early to say?
Svetlana Orlova: Why not? Recently, within the framework of the Congress, we looked at issues relating to the development of coal-mining regions. Take Kemerovo, for instance. Kemerovo in 2007 is a very different place from what it was 10 years ago. Today it is a fast-growing region, with plans to build four new power plants employing ground-breaking, Kyoto-compliant technologies. New housing is coming on stream and effective action is being taken to address social welfare issues.
Question: Looking ahead, how do you see Russia’s relationship with the Congress developing in the future?
Svetlana Orlova: I am confident that it will be very constructive. Common problems call for common solutions. It is important that there should be no double standards…
Question: What do you mean?
Svetlana Orlova: I’m thinking in particular of Kosovo. Obviously this is more a matter for the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly but we in the Congress also intend to defend our position in this matter. There is a UN resolution – No. 1244 – and it ought to be observed.
Question: Are you saying that the issue of Kosovo is going to be raised in the context of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities?
Svetlana Orlova: Of course. In my view, it’s essential. The Congress session in Malaga marked only the start of the debate on Kosovo. The Russian delegation in Malaga made their position quite clear: the same standards must apply everywhere. What does it matter that there have been elections in Kosovo, as some people pointed out? The problem lies in the legitimacy of those elections.
Question: You mentioned common problems. Which ones would you single out in particular?
Svetlana Orlova: We need to work together to enhance the role of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. The Congress should not be content to merely observe processes, it should engage with them and play a more active part in them. Some examples of vitally important common problems that no one country can solve on its own would be climate change, water resources, youth and domestic violence. Remember, too, that this year has been declared Year of the Family in Russia, and that we must work very hard in this area. Another common problem concerns WWII monuments and their preservation. Such monuments are important not only for us but also for our descendants, irrespective of the debates going on at present about certain aspects of the second world war. Our views on particular historic events may differ but the memory is a shared one and joint action is required to preserve it. Nihilism has no future.
Question: One final, very short question. On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate Russia’s relationship with the Congress today?
Svetlana Orlova: As I see it, the Russian delegation carries a great deal of authority in the Congress. We have produced reports on virtually all the major issues. If I had to rate the relationship on a scale of one to ten, I would certainly give it an 8.