Is there life after Zhirinovsky? In a sense, life in the Liberal Democratic Party after the possible departure of the creator and permanent leader of the party to rest or to another world (it is sad, of course, to admit the latter, but c’est la vie – we are all not eternal). This is not the first time this question has arisen, but perhaps it has never been so acute.
However, if you believe the associates of Vladimir Volfovich, the bad rumors are not only exaggerated, but generally have no basis. Here are the latest good news: “The state of health of Vladimir Zhirinovsky is stable, he is receiving all the necessary medical care,” said State Duma deputy from the Liberal Democratic Party Sergei Leonov. However, he continues to lead the party. We hope that soon he will personally speak to you and answer all your questions.”
True, it is not entirely clear then why the son of a politician, Igor Lebedev, who held the post of vice-speaker in the last Duma, published on Monday evening on his Facebook page a post of just two words: “Just live!” Comments from netizens: “Good health to dad!”, “Vladimir Volfovich will outlive everyone!”, “The whole of Ukraine is waiting for him to die!” etc. etc. – leave no doubt that the wish refers to the leader of the LPDR.
In fact, when a person’s health condition is so stable that it allows him to engage in leadership work, such requests are usually not addressed to him. And it is highly unlikely that Sergei Leonov knows more about this condition than the son of Zhirinovsky himself.
Vasily Vlasov, the first deputy head of the LDPR faction in the State Duma, added fuel to the fire of alarm, turning to Patriarch Kirill with a request for “help in organizing the reading of the magpie on the health of Vladimir Volfovich.”
No, a good prayer, of course, does not hurt in any case. But why was the magpie ordered so late – when the crisis seems to have already been overcome? Or is it still not overcome, and the most difficult is ahead? Sorokoust, we recall, is forty liturgies in a row.
A mysterious phrase at the beginning of Vlasov’s message to the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church also leads to unhappy thoughts: “The pandemic gave the experience of the impossibility of influencing the situation by changing the awareness of a person’s abilities.” What did the author mean? God knows.
But even if all the worries are in vain, if soon Vladimir Volfovich personally dispels all the rumors and we all laugh together at their unlucky distributors, the question of Plan B, of replacing the party leader, still remains. Years, alas, go by: in April, the chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party will turn 76 years old.
Think tanks close to the Kremlin have long been concerned about the “personnel problem” in the leadership of the country’s two oldest parliamentary parties, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and the Liberal Democratic Party. By the way, by coincidence, at the same time, the second representative of the “risk group” – Gennady Zyuganov, thundered in the Central Clinical Hospital.
AND WITH THE REASON OF THEIR quarrel – THE DEPUTY LEADER OF THE LDPR FRACTION VASILY VLASOV. PHOTO: DUMA.GOV.RU
At the same time, it is precisely the situation in the Liberal Democratic Party that causes the greatest concern among Kremlin experts: “The Communist Party of the Russian Federation does not present any big problems for the authorities in this sense. The Communists have a fairly wide range of party members who can replace Zyuganov without harm and remain loyal to the rules of the game that have developed in Russian party politics… With the Liberal Democratic Party, the situation is more complicated, because, unlike the Communists, the Liberal Democrats are a party of the of members weaker than Zhirinovsky. The unexpected departure of Zhirinovsky from the political scene contains both the risks of the collapse of the party and the flight of its members to other projects, as well as the risks of shifting the votes of the Liberal Democrats to other parties.”
One can only agree with the fact that Vladimir Volfovich is irreplaceable. You can’t put any of your fellow party members next to him. Whomever you imagine in his place – either an empty place comes out, or a pathetic parody. This also applies to the native blood of Vladimir Volfovich, Igor Lebedev. No offense will be said, but in terms of charisma and artistry, nature greatly rested on him. Didn’t inherit.
In fairness, however, it should be noted that in the political science layouts devoted to possible replacements for Zhirinovsky, Lebedev’s candidacy is practically not mentioned. Last summer, he announced that he had decided not to participate in the Duma elections and in general “suspend his participation in the political life of the country.”
According to the press, this decision was preceded by a rather violent conflict with his father, primarily over the personnel policy of the party leader. Lebedev allegedly was categorically against the appointment of Vasily Vlasov, mentioned above, to his current post.
By the way, from a formal point of view, Vlasov is the most likely successor. All the same, the second person in the faction. But, according to rumors, the Liberal Democrats, to put it mildly, have a difficult attitude towards Zhirinovsky’s 26-year-old deputy.
Who else? Promoted, well-known figures in the party – once or twice and counted. Well, Mikhail Degtyarev, the current governor of the Khabarovsk Territory. Well, Leonid Slutsky, head of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs. Well, a couple more deputies. But … In the words of the poet, “various wrong ones walk in the petty bustle.”
A really strong decision would be the election of the leader of the former Khabarovsk governor Sergei Furgal. However, there are big doubts that this candidacy will be approved by the Presidential Administration.
However, the drama of the situation is significantly reduced by three important circumstances. Firstly, Vladimir Volfovich is still with us and, as some of his fans assure, “will still outlive everyone.” And the strength of the magpie organized by Vlasov cannot be discounted.
If someone doubts that prayer will work in this case, then here is the explanation found on the Orthodox Life portal: “Is it possible to order a magpie for a person who is baptized, but does not lead a completely pious life: he goes to church a little and so on? ..” Answer: “Even necessary! Maybe it is your magpie that will break into his heart and serve as a blessed discovery for the salvation of his soul.
Second, the next Duma elections are almost five years away. A hundred times still everything can be replayed. Well, and thirdly, the importance of parliament and, accordingly, parliamentary parties in our Fatherland is such that the question of who and when will replace Zhirinovsky is very important, of course, for his party and, possibly, for the Duma, on a countrywide scale, can have only one adequate answer: does it really matter?