The new leader of the LDPR, Leonid Slutsky, remembered the old things in his election program

Presidential candidate and LDPR chairman Leonid Slutsky presented his election program on Wednesday. Her first thesis was the need to win the SVO, and among other points – a change in the principles of taxation, support for vulnerable categories of the population, regulation of food prices and consumer loans. The party members themselves, as Kommersant was convinced, are quite in solidarity with the new leader, but they are not ready to forget about Vladimir Zhirinovsky.

The Liberal Democrats decided to present their candidate’s program on Sparrow Hills – as at the “highest point” of the capital, explained Leonid Slutsky. The date was also not chosen by chance, he announced: “February 21 is a historic day for Russia. On this day two years ago, we recognized the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, which from now on and forever on the political map of the world are part of Russia!”

The politician’s election theses, formulated in short slogans, also opened the “Ukrainian” point. “The main goal of my election program is final and speedy victory,” explained the candidate, emphasizing that both this and subsequent provisions were born in communication with Russians (over 400 thousand citizens took part in the party survey “Tell Slutsky the Truth,” as activists later reported).

The second slogan item presented was the pro-regional “Russia is more than Moscow”: in this context, Mr. Slutsky proposed revising the tax system and financial relations between the regions and the center. “We are in favor of redistributing funding and writing off debts to our subjects,” the candidate emphasized. He promised personal tax breaks for low-income citizens (the point “The poor should not pay taxes”): “We are promoting a federal law introducing a zero tax rate for citizens who earn less than 30 thousand rubles – the amount that we propose to fix as the minimum wage… We speak out for progressive taxation: it’s fair, those who can should pay more.”

Next came items about freezing food prices and combating price inflation, expanding housing opportunities (mainly through individual housing construction and the “social fund” of apartments), and returning 11 trillion rubles to Russians. Soviet deposits, fighting debt collectors and reducing loan rates, primarily in microfinance organizations. “My strategy as a presidential candidate is extremely simple: everything is for the people,” summed up Leonid Slutsky. “We, the LDPR, do not have the right to deviate from the path that Zhirinovsky has chosen!” Zhirinovsky’s case lives on!”

Party members who were invited and connected via video loudly demonstrated full solidarity with the program proposed by the leader.

St. Petersburg residents especially highlighted the topic of approaching victory in the Northern Military District, Volgograd residents warmly supported the writing off of regional debts, Barnaul residents praised the idea of ​​​​controlling food prices, etc.

By the way, it was the activation and renewal of party cells that the deputy head of Mr. Slutsky’s election headquarters, Maria Voropaeva, in a conversation with Kommersant, called the key intermediate result of the campaign: “The regions were included – this is the main victory for us: the party is being rebuilt, activists are coming to the branches, and they are coming specifically for the new leader.” Although the old-timers, according to her, are trying to maintain the status quo and freely find a place for themselves in the updated structure: “Of course, someone is not ready for changes and decides to take up another job – this is normal, but they do not leave the party orbit.” . Part of the electorate “constantly compares” Leonid Slutsky with Vladimir Zhirinovsky and expects, for example, foreign policy “forecasts and prophecies” from the current leader, Ms. Voropaeva admitted. At the same time, a “large galaxy” of those who “came specifically to Slutsky and saw a new leader in Slutsky has already formed around the party,” she said.

At the same time, Leonid Slutsky does not feel any political jealousy towards the founder of the party, the deputy head of headquarters assured: “He is a completely reasonable person, so as not to compete with the person who has left, especially since Zhirinovsky did a lot for the formation of Leonid Eduardovich.” That’s why Mr. Slutsky supported the idea of ​​using the image of the late leader in the election campaign, added Maria Voropaeva: “The campaign was built to work with the deep electorate, it’s not this hype story, it doesn’t suit Slutsky. Then my colleagues said, why don’t we have a story (with Vladimir Zhirinovsky.— “Kommersant”) not to tighten it? That is, it is important primarily for party members: for many, Zhirinovsky is a father, a leader, and they themselves came with a proposal to show respect to the founder of the party as part of this campaign.”

The attempt by LDPR technologists to “sew together” the images of the party’s founder and its new leader is late, says political strategist Vladimir Perevozchikov: “The time frame is short, it took a long time to work on this.”

The party itself, focused on a tough leadership type, has also not yet rebuilt itself for a new leader who does not correspond to the type that voters associate with the LDPR, the expert argues: “Slutsky cannot gain much, there are many factors, and the most important thing is that he does not stand out in any way among the opposition candidates. And the program “for all good things”: previously the LDPR gave a slogan of one or two words and “sold” it with enthusiasm. Now there is no enthusiasm either in the texts, or in the billboards, or in the slogan. Third place in this case is a very good place.”

Grigory Leiba