From centrists to conservatives

"United Russia" is establishing cooperation with the church, the Vedomosti newspaper writes today. From now on, the party ideology will be based on conservatism and adherence to the traditional confession.

On August 22-24, an All-Russian seminar-meeting of regional Centers for Social Conservative Policy (CSCP) was held in Samara, at which economic issues were mainly discussed. But not only. We also talked about ideology. Party chairman Vladimir Putin recommended that his comrades-in-arms flesh out their ideological platform. As Deputy Secretary of the Presidium of the General Council Yuri Shuvalov told Vedomosti, it is possible that a cooperation agreement will be concluded between the CSKP and the Russian Orthodox Church. In any case, Georgy Ryabykh, an employee of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, took part in the seminar for the first time.

Cooperation will develop as part of the transformation of United Russia from a centrist to a conservative party. Shuvalov did not rule out that amendments to the party program could be prepared for the November congress if the Presidium of the General Council approves the idea.

In the understanding of United Russia members, who discussed ideology on August 14 at a joint meeting of clubs, modern conservatism is liberalism in the economy, patriotism in education and paternalism in the social sphere. In Samara, the concept of a bill on partnership between the state and the church was discussed. We are talking about cooperation in the spheres of education, culture, care for orphans and drug addicts, explains Ryabykh: “Our developments could be supported by the state through joint actions and financing.”

The Center for Social Conservative Policy (CSCP) was created by United Russia in early 2005 as an anti-crisis headquarters to solve problems associated with the introduction of Law 122 “On the monetization of benefits” and the stalling of administrative reform. Then the CSKP transformed into a design and analytical center, a kind of discussion platform where various ideas are discussed.