Leonid Gozman: ‘We are a warring country. The country has a behaviour and budget of a warring country’

'Only TV propagandists can say not to pay attention to the dollar: we have a ruble, what does it matter?'

On the last weekend Kazan hosted guests of Limmud FSU Volga-Urals International Jewish Conference, which took place in Regina hotel. A famous Russian politician of the right forces, president of Perspective fund Leonid Gozman, who was Yegor Gaidar and Anatoly Chubais' fellow in his old days, was among the participants of the forum.

'I'm an absolutely secular Jew, not religious. I know neither Hebrew nor Yiddish. I really like Israel but I'm not going to move there. And I think Russia is my country. I don't agree with those people who say that the Jew should not interfere in the life of Russia because its end is bad. Let them go where they want,' the speaker presented himself.

He noted that catastrophic expectations are intensifying in Russia. And there are reasons for it. For instance, the economy is falling, though there are areas of stability and development, and Tatarstan is among them.

Only TV propagandists can say not to pay attention to the dollar: we have the ruble, what does it matter? Holy cow, why do we care about it when we have such an economic structure? All that matters!

He put an example of dynamics of the national currency rate. In 2014, the dollar was 30 rubles, it reached 67 rubles in April 2016.

'Only TV propagandists can say not to pay attention to the dollar: we have the ruble, what does it matter? Holy cow, why do we care about it when we have such an economic structure? All that matters!' the 'secular Jew' was indignant.

A catastrophic fall in Russians' trips abroad was another indicator, he said. Open borders were a 'great achievement of Gorbachev's last years and Yeltsin's first years'. The number of trips abroad has reduced by 1/3 within a year (by 4,5m of trips). And there was an insignificant change in the structure of domestic tourism because in Russia, unlike in the USA (the Americans prefer to travel across their country), huge territories remain unfamiliar.

Enemy about the corner

He also drew attention to the change of military costs of the state. So, in 2011, 25,4% of the budget were spent on defence, safety and special services. 51% were expended in 2015. And such an increase happens when real budgetary incomes are reducing by means of reduction of other clauses – education, social sphere, culture, etc.

'It is reasonable only when inimical tanks are about the walls of the capital. It is a war! We are a warring country. The country has a behaviour and budget of a warring country.'

We give an impression of a great power, and nothing else.

'Minnikhanov fully understands it. Not only oil is pumped here…'

Gozman also talked about the 'oil drug' that the economy of Russia is hooked on.

'We give an impression of a great power, and nothing else. The future and present of the country depend on what it produces: whether it produces good products or not. And some GDP and other things don't matter,' the expert stated and gave a curious statistics.

In 2000, after destructive years of the freewheeling 90s, oil, gas and other crude products accounted for 53% of the structure of Russian export, and products of high conversion rate had 8,8%.

14 years have passed since Russia seems to have improved, and everything has been fine. Now oil and gas account for 70,5% of export; high conversion rate products have 5%.

'Here is the result. People who extract resources are always poorer, less skilled. that those who process it. By the way, Minnikhanov fully understands it. Not only oil is pumped here, petrochemical enterprises are also located here,' the politician noted.

How the Russians became an object of charity, while the state is an enemy of progress

If in developed countries people who 'feed' the country by means of taxes are the foundation of their economy. In Russia, in the expert's opinion, the population turned out to be a burden. Only several oil workers and security staff are needed in order to extract and sell oil. The rest of the citizens turned out to be odd.

Such export structure means not the American imperialism or Israeli Zionism but a technical progress, including energy and resource saving, is the main enemy of the country

In this situation people from a source of wealth become an 'object of charity': they need to be given something to not to let them die from hunger and paid to avoid strikes. This way was chosen in monarchies of the Persian Gulf that are rich in oil (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, ect.). They pay their citizens well, social programmes are developed there well.

'Such export structure means not the American imperialism or Israeli Zionism but a technical progress, including energy and resource saving, is the main enemy of the country. It all happens when the entire humankind is getting rid of resource dependence,' Gozman told.

Responsibility to the 'top', not the people

He said the inadequacy of elites is another problem of the country: their corrupt, responsibility to the 'top', mentality of special services and short planning horizon.

'Much turns on the people, including those people who rule the country. Our corruption turnover makes up hundreds of billions. They are not educated at all. Why do you need to live a golden living room? Why do you need watches for a million of dollars? Watches that foreign ministers wear cost $100, 200, 300. One said lamely his watches cost $1,000, his children presented it to him for his 60 ^th birthday. Can't ours wear simpler watches? They show time the same way. And ours are ashamed to wear cheap watches,' the speaker said.

When he was on holiday in Cyprus with his wife, he noted there were luxurious yachts near the local marina. It turned out Arabs, Africans and Russians resided there.

Much turns on the people, including those people who rule the country. Our corruption turnover makes up hundreds of billions. They are not educated at all

He also saw how the first vice-President of the USA went to countryside by train from a local station after an event in Manhattan. As he said, in this situation but in Russia, there is a booked limousine, 25 security guards, light are on, roads closed.

'These people who are ruling us today are responsible to their 'top' only, not to the 'bottom', which has decent and very smart people, of course. But we don't appoint them. Our contentment and indignation mean nothing at all. If they are dismissed, it means the 'top' is not satisfied, not because we don't like them,' Gozman noted.

'It is not our situation when the Senate decides who can use forces wherever and however within just 40 minutes,' the politician informed.

At the same time he thinks the country can get out of the crisis and become developed. For this goal the administration just needs to set certain tasks and turn its brain on and work hard.

From his point of view, the problem of our country is that Putin can chose people he wants to work with, while Obama has to work with those workers whom other people trust: people choose governors and mayors there. Some appointments must be approved by the Senate. It is a very complicated procedure.

I don't know how the Kremlin Apparatus is changing but I do that Russia becomes a military country. It is seen in the budget, ideology and everything.

The Kremlin changes and Minnikhanov's positions

During a short break, the correspondent of Realnoe Vremya managed to talk to Leonid Gozman face-to-face and ask him a couple of questions.

Putin appointed Anton Vaino as the head of the Presidential Administration of Russia. Who is this person?

I don't remember whether I was acquainted with this person. But when he chaired the Apparatus of the Government, my colleagues who talked to him spoke well of him, I heard good words. At the same time I have seen the text he signed. It is awful, it is simply terrible.

What text do you mean?

It was something about the management of the world (Editor's Note: it seems he meant nooscope that allows to study the collective humankind's consciousness). It is a terrible thing. In general, Anton Vaino's appointment means a change of the team. Vladimir Putin refuses services of his colleagues from different departments of the state safety whom he saw service with. He is starting to work with absolutely different people.

It is said the Apparatus of the Kremlin is reorganising for wartime. Do you agree with this statement?

I don't know how the Kremlin Apparatus is changing but I do know that Russia becomes a military country. It is seen in the budget, ideology and everything. We become a warring country. Undoubtedly, we don't have open fronts, but we are a warring country.

President in any other democratic country would also prefer to have his close people as governors. But he has to deal with those people who are elected by voters, not the people he trusts. And ours deals with the people he trusts, and it is enough for him.

The corps of governors is filled with siloviks. Why has Putin focused on them in recent time?

Because he prefers to work with people he trusts as well as any human – Obama, Hollande and whoever. Putin trusts siloviks because he comes from this movement. If people have served as his personal security guards, he used to trust these people. It is not bad he appoints the people he trusts. It is bad that only his trust matters, others' trust has no meaning. President in any other democratic country would also prefer to have his close people as governors. But he has to deal with those people who are elected by voters, not the people he trusts. And ours deals with the people he trusts, and it is enough for him.

What other regional heads can be dismissed after Nikita Belykh?

Anybody because Nikita was arrested because of the actions any governor of the Russian Federation makes. And he can combine these acts with theft for himself but he also can not do it. As I think Nikita did not do it. I don't believe he stole. From my point of view, Nikita is an honest person. Any governor of the Russian Federation breaches. Anybody can be arrested.

What do you think about Rustam Minnikhanov's positions?

He is one of the strongest and most responsible regional heads of our country. Short personal meetings, talks I had with him and what I know about the state of affairs in the republic cause deep respect. But it doesn't mean I support him in terms of politics, though it is not important. Many things are developing here – it is a combination of partial and impartial factors. Tatarstan has different programmes. He looks much better among the heads of many regions.