Liberals Lose Hope For Medvedev With Putin Restoration In Air
After 18 months, Russians are still searching for evidence that President Dmitry Medvedev is anything more than a seat-warmer for Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's return to the Kremlin in 2012.
Liberals who had hoped Medvedev would modernize Russia and lead the country away from Putin's autocratic "power vertical", have been disappointed so far with a gap between rhetoric and action - leading many to believe that Medvedev's inability deliver demonstrates that power remains entirely in the hands of Putin, and that Medvedev will only ever be the junior partner in their so-called "tandem" of authority.
Following Medvedev's essay, "Go Russia", there are now hopes that his second annual state-of-the-nation speech next month will pave the way for a new commitment to democracy and end to corruption.