Everyday abnormality

On October 25, at the First Investment Forum, Vice-Governor of St. Petersburg Igor Albin unexpectedly began to tell the participants about his impressions of reading the works of Joseph Stalin and the benefits of studying the economic heritage of the leader of the peoples

Since there is no political competition in the country, even with good intentions, it is not professionals who could really create an investment, business climate that get to the top, but people who quote Stalin at investment forums for foreigners. Stalin and investments are completely incompatible things, but this does not even occur to Igor Albin. It is impossible for investors to talk about Stalin like Albin, it is unthinkable to come to the president's message in a leather jacket, like a biker surgeon.

The concept of the norm is blurred in all areas: in the economy, in culture, in politics. And so the Surgeon teaches Konstantin Raikin, Vitaly Milonov talks about geopolitics, and Igor Albin advises investors to study Stalin's economic experience. There is a suspicion that no policy, no decisions simply can be implemented adequately here.

Deal after all not only in Albina. When President Vladimir Putin tells investors about the Donbass at the Russia calling investment forum, it is clear that there are problems with adequacy here as well. It's more like Russia calling back. Investors need to be told about the protection of private property, the creation of an independent judiciary, the protection of investments, and so on. But our politicians - even at the highest level - simply do not understand where they are and what is acceptable or not acceptable to say in this or that situation. Foreign policy, as a continuation of domestic policy, has absorbed everything. Investors looking at samples of Russian propaganda may think: “All this constant talk about Crimea and Donbass, all this geopolitics is necessary for Putin to gain popularity in his country. But he is still a sane person and understands that we, investors, need to be given guarantees for our investments.” When they come to a professional forum and hear the same thing there, they understand that politics in general and the authorities are inadequate - time, challenges. Investors make decisions based on the totality of risks. And such speeches at professional forums show investors how high the level of political risks is in modern Russia.

The State Duma has plenary sessions where political statements can be made, and there are professional discussions at the committee. If someone comes to the committee and starts talking in slogans there, they simply stop listening and taking him seriously. Each information platform has its own specific style. You can be a populist at a rally, but you cannot be a populist in a professional setting. Inviting a person like Albin to an investment forum is an indicator of inadequacy.