The topic of the special military operation of the Russian Federation will be central in President Vladimir Putin's message to the Federal Assembly on Tuesday, February 21. This opinion was shared by the deputies of all five factions in the State Duma, who were polled by TASS on the eve of the address. Meanwhile, lawmakers also expect to hear from the president about the nation's economic development priorities, its defense ability and security, and, as usual, measures to provide social security for Russian citizens.
Expectations of the majority faction
"We are now at a very important historical stage in our development and, of course, we should have expected the president to pay special attention to the main topic of this year - the special military operation," said Deputy Head of the United Russia faction in the State Duma Yevgeny Revenko in his conversation with TASS. In his view, the president's message might cover topics connected with how the special operation is being carried out, what measures are required to support its participants, and how the economy and industry are being developed. Besides, Revenko expects that the president will also reflect the issues of anti-sanction measures, "provision of defense capability and state security, measures of social support".
In this regard, the deputy pointed out the role of the Federal Assembly, which will soon have to start legislating on the implementation of the message. According to him, United Russia, as the constitutional majority faction in the State Duma and the ruling party, will have to "provide solutions to all the tasks that will be set by the president."
"The president is our common leader, and everyone is rallying around him now. But that said, the president is the leader of our party, and of course, all the tasks he sets will certainly be performed by us. This is out of the question," said Revenko.
First Deputy of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy Nadezhda Shkolkina (United Russia), in her turn, also pointed out the integration of the new subjects of the Russian Federation in the legal field of Russia.
"Along with that, I would like the message to focus on the development of the country's economic potential - from breakthrough solutions to specific objects," she told reporters. For example, she recalled, the president has previously set goals to increase agricultural exports to $45 billion a year by 2024, to create 25 campuses by 2030, and to renovate 7,300 schools by 2026.
"All of these goals may have seemed overambitious and even somewhat unrealistic at one time. But as life shows, without ambitious plans it is impossible to build a successful economy, and therefore a prosperous state," Shkolkina emphasized.
Protection of national interests
Ivan Melnikov (CPRF), first deputy speaker of the Duma, said in an interview with TASS that the recent Munich Security Conference has given rise to some nuances in the message. He is also convinced that the message is bound to include tasks that are directly related to lawmaking.
"The State Duma is ready to work in a consolidated way and as quickly as possible in order to protect the national interests of Russia and ensure the country's security and unity in the face of sound threats," he assured.
In turn, Deputy Head of the LDPR Duma faction Alexei Didenko said that the president's message to the parliament is "the brightest political beacon," when the president "dwells on the main aspects of the country's life."
"Obviously, everything in Russia is now devoted to achieving the goals of the special operation, and this idea, we are convinced, will permeate the message of 2023, and so the main thing we expect from the president is to inspire the country and the army," the parliamentarian told TASS, noting that "the most acute topic of every message" is also social policy.
Approaches to economic regulation and living standards
A Just Russia -- For Truth faction leader Sergey Mironov expects that in his state-of-the-nation address, the president will touch upon several key issues.
"The first is, of course, the special military operation, and in a broader sense, the support of its participants and the defense capabilities of the state," Mironov told TASS, recalling that, according to the Just Russia party, the part of the Russian economy that meets the needs of defense must work outside market mechanisms.
Mironov also expects to hear about personal income in the presidential address. In particular, he believes, the issue of the growth of housing and utilities tariffs deserves attention. "Another important topic is demography. The head of state constantly refers to it in his speeches," Mironov stressed.
Leader of the New People party Alexey Nechayev also believes that part of the president's message will be devoted to the issue of the special operation and the support of its participants.
"The president's position and support is important for people," he said in a conversation with journalists. In addition, he stressed, the issues of assistance to the new regions and their integration into the Russian Federation are also relevant today, which he believes the president will also pay attention to.
"The key topic is the standard of living in Russia. I am sure we will hear about what is being done to ensure that people have jobs with normal wages, affordable products, and necessary medicines," Nechayev believes.
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Photo: 23artashes/Creative Commons 4.0
Based on materials from TASS