that matters is really whether to put in stays or goes nothing else is of significance for the russians it's the exact opposite they discuss everything but prudence future role don't you think that both camps missing something important. i do think they have perfectly right and one of major reasons is connected with a faggot they had. known what they did explain in detail the plan and that's why everybody can make he so her own constructions how exactly it will go on and what exactly goals of the transformation of the political system are. your right when saying that. they have 2 camps generally speaking and those who are really good to see that the glass is here full pretty much positive and those who do think that

glass is half empty. pretty much negative and the major reason is that now we do see only very general draft off what will happen. with no it's very important how exactly all those sadia switch expressed in the draft law adopted today in the 1st reading by the state duma how exactly they will take shape well let's the let's talk about your own perceptions because in your recent piece for chess and pals you contend that it's all about prolonging put in its grip on power do you think that's really all he cares about and if so a do you think the staying in power isn't aimed in and of itself or is it a means to something else i think they have. been allies president putin. seeings. and to look at what has happened to on january 15th. there can be

no are the serious reasons. they have a life scale can situational reform except for changing the system in a way transforming this ystem in their way which will allow put into keeping after 2024 and they have various nothing strange. if and when he goes with these what looks a little bit strange it's that there are no more political play us who. know reacts not just in the way. wholeheartedly support or wholeheartedly oppose these sadia but to analyze what exactly will happen to russia's concede to sion and to russian political system in the result of well as you point in your point out in your article the changes proposed by putin

introduced checks and balances on his close associates and at the same time and i'm quoting you here ensuring that countries judiciary legislative and executive bodies remain passive and that sounds like a bit of an excessive moron to me how can he'll limit the personal influence of his associates without empowering institutions well the reason why i have described what's going on in a way you have cited is that there are different stages when transformed in the political system as these the h. all political institutions very weak and the 3rd the awakened by 1st move some made by the president but it can not last for long and in the law that transforms the system he it should definitely establish order to stall or strengthen political institutions that's why. we can speak about the

timing of this report reform so that's why i. go in on not well shortly before 2024 but it's going on no because it takes a lot of time to establish institutions to change them to check whether they can to make them practically useful but mr petrov i'm sure you would agree that putin doesn't want to see a russia governed by and not that putin and i personally don't see any ah there are alternatives to you putin is and that would satisfy logic if we can on personal and historical grounds other than democracy what is the other scenario that would provide an absolute curative guarantees for him personally without empowering ave individuals while also ensuring his place in history not only as somebody who raised russia from its knees but also somebody who put it on to path of stable

politically stable development in my view a democrat is a sham it's exactly what putin doesn't need because in this case he will be vulnerable because in this case and in. so the development can lead to question him how exactly he was acting as a president did he say anything since so one way it's a he definitely doesn't want so there are no authority around leaders who would like to democratize this system when leaving from there because see it's security problem but if he keeps the current system in place with the super strong presidency he could be just as vulnerable if not more vulnerable to the same kind of prosecution or persecution or whatever you call it in fact i thought that those . checks and balances on the so-called sin of

a kid that you talked about the law enforcement the security agencies that actually sized their power in very oblique ways those the introduction of those checks and balances with the make the russian government far more transparent than that is now is that really not a good thing. well 1st of all wish should not speak about checks and balances in the real sense way should speak about kwasi the checks and balances wage will somehow in the bowl to come trawled. next president who will not because they have powerful as putin looks know that will enable somehow to balance the powerful institution saying on 1st the wall what. exactly and so wouldn't that make russia by extent more democratic even though even if that's serving put in its own personal goals one does make this system more balanced and

more democratic well speaking about balance in this system where should de for bit when balancing from outside from its of citizens all balancing from one side and no with to see the changes switch leading to these balancing from the inside to providing the kind of. chicks wage will in the able. first of all to keep some holly in power i'm not speaking about. this same power as he does he have no but keeping control over some strategic move sent strategic decisions and at the same time not to let anybody including his successor to change this system easily is that bad or in a way which will not be in favor of those who are implementing one goal in

transformation you know one of the scholars that i see quoted a log these days in russia is daniel traced a man and his article democracy by mistake in which he comes to the conclusion that out of the $146.00 political systems dad democratized over the last century and a half only see. 7 percent did it by in time in all the abba cases the circumstances or sort of the logic of history the logic of development to care of that do you totally rule out this outcome for russia nothing can be ruled out with this point and it's understandable that transformation of such a scale is very rescan and the price that's why by the way we do see how the kremlin these. providing all those changes which could be planned. the very beginning but nobody in the it will go that's why they will trace money is

absolutely right down to i could see we could see it could have done for example we could see. with. transformational schemes has been well realised. i would not sustain made they have results as absolutely positive for those who have the transform in this system well i actually agree with you and i'm sure you remember this the famous saying by former prime minister of russia viktor chernomyrdin that we were aiming for the bass but it all turned out as usual do you think putin at this point of time has enough influence and. instruments to see whatever he wants to be realized realized in the way he wants it to be it i'm not that sure. to see 2 major reasons one can they have to with

a flag that the life scale of reform which is going on now is not the one which has been discussed for long by different to experts and that's why wage could be seen as more or less well prepared it what we do see in though is well prepared but it's a kind of. threshold appear a sham so we cannot be sure that those who are preparing this reform did everything in a way which will guarantee it from different packages can sequence is this is this . well the system was phased the 2nd is connected with the fact that in order to the transformation to go on in the smallest way the kremlin did that we can all institutions which means that it's much easier to make any moves without being some hollow to boat different political players who could

intervene and who could some hollow try to influence what's going on in their own favor going back to your point about planning i mean russia is not a planned economy anymore and i think the russian leadership has long abandoned any ambition of being able to plan things had in fact it's often accused of playing by the ear and not having enough strategy but one thing that i think is consistent is that any public opinion poll you look at points to a cheering and more demanding populace putin himself mansion's that in almost all his speeches including the latest state of the nation address if that indeed leads to democratize ation a broader distribution of power within the russian society and the strengthening of the institutions do you think the west and people like yourself the x.-press like yourself who have long been critical of this regime do you think you can accept

that as. democratising with putin still being associated but at no i do and i can imagine seeing the area like the one the of nonchalant like those described by then they'll trace money democracy by mistake or by faith and yet it can be the case used to be the case in many other well similar circumstances but i can not see any road. well basement for political pull or look even at the state duma today they did vote on them you only knew it may no slit for the well project with. without. rejections without any ideas how to improve it this am shelley without any substantial discussion so how could you imagine if they had.

to give them as representative self. more rights or how could you imagine that the next generation of duma deputies would agree president bush and a man did that these are he's only and is a mother i can tell you that development doesn't happen overnight i mean your kid doesn't become a 16 year old 2 months after birth it all takes time and it takes a certain degree of practicing and making mistakes each i think should be allowed to russia as to any other country but let's continue that discussion after a very short break we'll be back in just a few moments. from the us didn't you see those people by as though you could see the slum view or see

you. couple told us to do so these days. what. you see in the film was the budget for. the food nobody. really believes. you're. going. to be here let. me.

come back to worlds apart with nicole i patrol senior research fellow russia and eurasia at chatham house it's a patrol in addition to those proposed constitutional amendments that may or may not change the way russia has governed in the future the last of week witnessed sweeping changes in the way russia is being government right now in the moment there's a new cabinet in place huge. social and infrastructure spending has been announced what do you think about those don't you think that those practical and to be the changes always tend to be more important in russian in the russian context than any future amendments to the constitution i don't think so because. well in my view what we've seen on january 15th. the beginning of the presidential

address was pretty successful kremlin city empty to create a very poor is it if backgrounds fall for a name move swayed on not conceded by majority of russians to be that important for them like changing the constitution that's why the president came with a whole bag of different gifts to different social groups and categories but i don't think they have these. they have more important development then they want. to lead and so the problem i see is small that much connected with a fed. the government is giving or is promising to give population no but with a fact how exactly a population in the whole. quat in decision making can

take pot in managing themselves by themselves without not waiting for something close gifts like see one of major thinks wages not that much discussed at a time of transformation is the fact that they have unlike in the conceit to shun the new one will not in the homes they have to sell for administration is separate braincells but not the part of state management we build you respect them in local governments and russia is. seemingly extremely weak and sometimes extremely corrupted i mean you are talking about as if major powers are being taken from them when in fact those powers have never been executed properly but to the point you know people governing themselves i have had numerous accidents on this show who have claimed that the issue of bracks it should have never been put to the vote in britain simply because people are not knowledgeable enough to make such

a complicated economic and political decision just and to fly and here you are suggesting that. the russian people should decide everything by themselves i mean that in every country there is every l.a. station that certain powers a being delegated to specialists to improve lives in those respective countries like some of the you are absolutely right when saying that self administration is extremely weak but its not myself its the constitution my constitution and to your constitution which proclaim slow cold self administration as separate branch of power not the part of state management a matter of the fact is they have to joining all i would say 25 or even 30 years of development. up a levels being the federal government or even the regional governments trying to

take. money in the wall for a local self administration but. coming back to your previous point on democrats i cannot see any at all the way of democratising they come true except for practicing democracy and local elections absolutely but integrating the local administrations into the power structure is not going to put an end to that in fact it may empower those little. administrations and give them the resources now i want to move on from that particular point to a larger one about big gifts you mentioned you know all putin did in the beginning of his addresses just to hand out some presents to you various groups but i see that in the in a very different light i think what we are discussing here is a major shift in the country's economic policy from us charity from the accumulation of resource this huge

a more proactive spending on those resources particularly on social and infrastructural projects and whether you like it or not the central government in russia has been pretty successful at saving over the last couple of years do you think it would be just as a fact if that spending would you like it to be just as effective at spending i would like. very effective. spending money and promoting economic development in the contre the only reason they have to it's also boat is can they have to it's with constituents from by the way with a flag that in the contra like russia you kill a lot to manage the whole big contra consisting of very different regions from one in the same sentence so i would say that in my view as a country is there in march centralised over you need to around the eyes.

putin did dick lives that it will go. and that's why i. can not imagine how exactly any extreme leaf manager can decide what is needed it's what is needed to grow what is needed because i actually leave in russia and i can see and you can see that in pulls off to polls develop every gardasil for each polling organization does it there's a huge swallowing of civility in this country volunteering organisations people coming to the streets to protest against it. environmental hazards against construction what have you this is unprecedented in this country isn't in nobody's talking about strangling dr kind of activity in fact whatever for the only thing that putin sad in his address is that he wants to bring the state in contact and incorporation of it those groups some whole to you i would rather not discuss my age era but let's say i'm. i've been on the spot that's long enough to

see changes at least in russian so the room. he'll say is that no no we do see much more see they. actually leave to this country i am speaking to you from my personal experience i'm sure from london it appears to be a different picture but the way it's felt here on the ground is very very different and i think it's very uplifting as well my point is that we do not hear of real. grassroots political activism and this is due to the pressure of the government who went on to local self administration mountain regions you yourself wrote about mosco city elections scandalous most elections last year and you know that they were and number of very prominent civil activists who were running in those elections people like you to go down in there who has been

a major change force for change in moscow wasn't a lower tier wasn't allowed but she can kenya her activism that elections to raise her profile and there are many more people who are following in her footsteps this system is designed because those activists who have to be pretty much effective at municipal level none of them have been allowed to put to sleep we see to do way elections although most. small close the border away which can define anything. well i hope that's going to change with the next elections and there are already signs that they are far more political representation different political representation. at the local levels and the regional levels you know that elections united russia party these prague kremlin dominant party is no longer capable of winning elections whenever it wants. well 1st of all with do no more here if they are a little a actions for. regional capitals except for 7 cases

out of 857 cases that constitute the biggest cities in russia where the majority of the population leave no no no no oksana is to speak of both more school and state business but it's different because they are subject to feed this regime so it's not to vote directly with or a little it's a bold we're not totally actions by the way we're not totally. produced staged by the kremlin so. when. we see him for he says when those who are pointed by puts him has been rejected by popular vote and 29th the kremlin did it by its biased in order to avoid the real risk in gubernatorial elections then that's why i'm saying that this system moves in the wrong way it doesn't play a 3000 seat is to say play

a litigious took the ball in order to make the system more efficient let me bring you back to the issue of the cabinet because we only have a few minutes left and president putin is is known for his knack for balancing in previous cabinet ministers where almost always counter balance by vice premier's representing different groups or different color within the elites the current government in this regard looks far more how much cine as i think it. probably the most liberal government that or the most technocratic government that russia has had in years or in decades. how would you explain the obvious fact that there are at least checks and balances that you discussed earlier and not really much visible in the new cabinet well this is a different case i would say they have those. kinds of balancing you've mentioned

is good enough you want to keep step with squaw and certain balance between live groups like it has been made on the prime minister meets the needs of now with the kremlin wants the government to do something and that's why it looks much more like a team i would not call it liberal i would not quality even technocratic it's it consists of well relatively good man the joes who are pretty well prepared to realize strategists the woods by below also found some some other guys can they act it's with they do this is them over equanimity and when you say to do something. something would be what keeping putin in power or pressure you know just an idea making people's lives better no i think the role of the government is to well promote more he should see governmental spending so we do see in the national projects waits on

not realized as it has been plant during these 2 years the problem i see is that this government is in my view much more capable to be more effective in doing what it's ordered to do the problem is that it will move in a little bit from different directions so it will be status quo in the main and the idea is to make states investment more more effective. that's good but it would be bad to throw his private investment while i may mr petrofsky have to leave it there i really appreciate your time with us today and thank you for watching syria again next sunday and was a part of. trade

and investment to become magic spells to conjure economic development. most people think about trade they think about goods and services being exchanged between countries and the invest the chapter of a trade agreement as opposed to something very different but what one investment leads to toxic manufacturing that destroys sacred sites all ruins the environment. that means that if local communities that are being poisoned if they object if they do anything that the company feels is interrupting their profits they can be sued

no multinationals are taking on the whole nation philip morris is trying to use i.s.t.'s to stop oracle by implementing new tobacco regulations aimed at cutting domestic smoking rates a fringe company sued egypt because egypt raise its minimum wage democratic choice over trump corporate law joining us as we try to fund don't want to party. the world is driven by shaped by one person or those great. dares thinks. we dare to ask.

iran's far as a news agency says its international web site was shut down on the orders of the us treasury. if british government is accused of her part. after signing a lucrative oil and gas deals with african nation is despite promising to help them transition to clean energy. millions of dollars to establish what it calls an independent media in syria but critics critics question washington's motives. these stories you can t. dot com my colleague dan problems will be here in full with news but right now it is time to look at an indian diplomat as a guest and going underground talking about the kashmir conflict and to watch him in the u.k. political talk show sports.