Medvedev's modernization

The Russian president did not mince his words as he described the socio-economic situation in Russia. He ranted at what he called the country's "chronic backwardness," the "lack of economic competitiveness," the rampant corruption and the high level of dependency on gas and oil.

And there's no arguing with his assessment. All the problems he listed play a major part in Russia's failure to fulfill its potential and to offer its people a modern way of life.

His appeals for change appear to be the right way forward, including the modernization and strengthening of democratic values and institutions and his pledge to fight terrorism in the North Caucasus region.

However, any approval and support for his ideas should not overshadow two important questions: Can Medvedev achieve his ambitious aims given the extent of corruption and state-run bureaucracy, and can Russia undergo an economic and technological modernization without far-reaching political reforms? His remarks in that respect did little to inspire confidence. Although he criticized authoritarian structures on a regional level and demanded improvements for Russia's opposition parties, there was little of substance on radical political and legal reform.

Kremlin experts will have noted with interest Medvedev's calls to overhaul Russia's state-run companies, the behemoths created by his predecessor, Vladimir Putin. However, it would be wrong to interpret that as a deep rift between the two men. A closer look reveals that Medvedev's drive to modernize the country's economy is part of the strategy pursued by Putin. Medvedev can take credit for trying to give those ideas more substance and for giving them a democratic platform, thereby allowing optimists to hope whereas realists will say it's time for action, not words.

Still, Medvedev's message offers the West, and Germany in particular, a promising opportunity. For the first time Russia is not using ideology or military might to define its status as a world power, instead it's looking at whether it can offer its people modern living conditions. This means that Russia is being forced to adopt a more cooperative position towards the outside world. As Medvedev himself put it: Modernization can only be achieved through integration with the global economy.

And that's why it was no surprise that foreign policy was hardly mentioned. Medvedev said Russia's foreign policy would merely be an instrument to secure the sweeping internal reforms he has called for. Historically this would indicate a significant paradigm shift. The European Union should use this chance by defining its own aims and stating how it intends to help Russia achieve modernization.

Ingo Mannteufel is head of Deutsche Welle's Russian Service (rm)

Editor: Susan Houlton