Party of Growth (russian: Партия Роста, Partiya Rosta, ) is a
liberal-conservative
Liberal conservatism is a political ideology combining conservative policies with liberal stances, especially on economic issues but also on social and ethical matters, representing a brand of political conservatism strongly influenced by libe ...
political party
A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology ...
in Russia with representatives in several local legislatures. Created in March 2016 on the basis of the
Right Cause
The All-Russian Political Party «Right Cause» (PD; russian: Всероссийская политическая партия «Правое дело»; ПД; ''Vserossiyskaya politicheskaya partiya «Pravoye delo»'', ''PD'') was an officially r ...
party, the party's main policy stances are liberal free
market economy
A market economy is an economic system in which the decisions regarding investment, production and distribution to the consumers are guided by the price signals created by the forces of supply and demand, where all suppliers and consumers ...
, democracy and protecting the rights of the middle class. The party has been led by
Boris Titov
Boris Yuryevich Titov (russian: Борис Юрьевич Титов; born 24 December 1960, Moscow, USSR) is a Russian politician and businessman serving as the presidential commissioner for entrepreneurs' rights since 2012. He has led the Par ...
since its founding. The party is a member of the pro-Putin
All-Russia People's Front
The All-Russia People's Front (ONF; russian: Общероссийский народный фронт, Obshcherossiyskiy narodnyy front), is a political coalition in Russia started in 2011 by then-Prime Minister of Russia Vladimir Putin to provide ...
.
History
Creation
Right Cause was founded in November 2008 as a merger of three parties:
Union of Right Forces
)"Liberty, Property, Legality"(russian: "Свобода, Собственность, Законность")
, headquarters = Moscow
, newspaper = Just Cause
, membership_year = 2007
, membership = 57,410
, ideology ...
(SPS),
Civilian Power
The Civilian Power or Citizens' Force (GS; russian: Гражданская сила; ГС; ''Grazhdanskaya sila'', ''GS'') is a green-liberal political party in the Russian Federation. The organization was called the Network Party for Support o ...
and
Democratic Party of Russia
The Democratic Party of Russia or DPR (russian: link=no, Демократическая Партия России, ''Demokraticheskaya Partiya Rossii'') is a conservative Russian political party that was founded in 1990. Under the leadership ...
. SPS and Civilian Power were both regarded as liberal parties, supporting free market reforms, protection of private property and a decentralized federal government. The Democratic Party also supported liberal values, but its programme was more conservative and nationalistic.
By 2008, the three parties were all in a state of decline. While SPS had achieved 8.7% of votes in the
1999 Duma election, in the
2007 election it only received 0.96%. Support for the Democratic Party (0.13%) and Civilian Power (1.05%) in the 2007 election was also low.
SPS—highly critical of
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...
and
United Russia
United Russia ( rus, Единая Россия, Yedinaya Rossiya, (j)ɪˈdʲinəjə rɐˈsʲijə) is a Conservatism in Russia, Russian conservative List of political parties in Russia, political party. As the largest party in Russia, it hold ...
in its 2007 election campaign—was losing voters because Putin had adopted many of the market reforms championed by SPS, and also because companies started to withdraw their financial support from the party. With falling support and votes being lost to
United Russia
United Russia ( rus, Единая Россия, Yedinaya Rossiya, (j)ɪˈdʲinəjə rɐˈsʲijə) is a Conservatism in Russia, Russian conservative List of political parties in Russia, political party. As the largest party in Russia, it hold ...
, the three parties, among others, considered mergers in order to survive. The decision to initiate the merger was made in October 2008, and in November the unification was completed. The new party, called Right Cause, was officially registered on 18 February 2009. The party's creation was supported by the presidential administration of
Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev ( rus, links=no, Дмитрий Анатольевич Медведев, p=ˈdmʲitrʲɪj ɐnɐˈtolʲjɪvʲɪtɕ mʲɪdˈvʲedʲɪf; born 14 September 1965) is a Russian politician who has been serving as the dep ...
.
The merger was opposed by SPS founding member and former Deputy Prime Minister
Boris Nemtsov
Boris Yefimovich Nemtsov ( rus, Бори́с Ефи́мович Немцо́в, p=bɐˈrʲis jɪˈfʲiməvʲɪtɕ nʲɪmˈtsof; 9 October 195927 February 2015) was a Russian physicist and liberal politician. He was involved in the introduction ...
, who believed the new party would not offer true political opposition, while another SPS founding member
Anatoly Chubais
Anatoly Borisovich Chubais (russian: Анатолий Борисович Чубайс; born 16 June 1955) is a Russian politician and economist who was responsible for privatization in Russia as an influential member of Boris Yeltsin's administ ...
, widely considered architect of Russia's privatization programme, voiced strong support for the merger, saying that "a political party is one that participates in elections with chances to win."
Controversy
Despite allegations that the party is too close to the Kremlin be a real opposition party, Right Cause was involved in controversy, finding itself in opposition to the authorities. In January 2009, an arrest warrant was issued for
Yevgeny Chichvarkin
Evgeny Aleksandrovich Chichvarkin (russian: link=no, Евге́ний Алекса́ндрович Чичва́ркин; born on the 10th of September 1974 in Leningrad, RSFSR, Soviet Union) is a Russian entrepreneur who founded the largest R ...
, founder of leading mobile phone retailer
Euroset
Euroset (russian: Евросеть) was Russia's largest mobile phone retailer, with over 5,000 stores across Russia and Belarus. In 2006, the company controlled 37% of the Russian mobile retail market and in 2010 it employed some 27,000 people. I ...
and anticipated head of Right Cause for the Moscow Region. The warrant was issued in absentia, as Chichvarkin is currently in
London, England
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...
.,
[Евгений Чичваркин (Evgeny Chichvarkin ) Right Cause set up a website]
Chichvarkin.info collection of pressmaterials by Lenta.ru
''Lenta.ru'' (russian: Лента.Ру; stylised as LƐNTA.RU) is a Russian-language online newspaper. Based in Moscow, it is owned by Rambler Media Group. In 2013, the Alexander Mamut-owned companies "SUP Media" and "Rambler-Afisha" merged to ...
to proclaim its support for Chichvarkin, and according to ''
The Moscow Times
''The Moscow Times'' is an independent English-language and Russian-language online newspaper. It was in print in Russia from 1992 until 2017 and was distributed free of charge at places frequented by English-speaking tourists and expatriates s ...
'', the party suggests that the legal action is "an example of the authorities unjustly targeting business."
First elections
The first major election where Right Cause took part was the Moscow City Duma elections in October 2009. The party was predicted to receive between 5-8% of the vote, but only managed to register one candidate, who was soundly defeated. Many commentators that assumed that this was part of an effort by city officials of
Yury Luzhkov
Yury Mikhailovich Luzhkov ( rus, Ю́рий Миха́йлович Лужко́в, p=ˈjʉrʲɪj mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪtɕ lʊˈʂkof; 21 September 1936 – 10 December 2019) was a Russian politician who served as mayor of Moscow from 1992 to 2010 ...
's administration to restrict the chances of opposition parties, many Right Cause members blamed the party leadership for not properly organizing the registration and campaign.
2011—2016
The party currently has representation in several city legislatures, but lacks representation on the regional level.
According to a survey conducted in March 2008, less than 2% of the Russian population were loyalists of the party.
In April 2011, support for Right Cause was 2.9%. The party's performance has been a disappointment, with analysts attributing its low popularity to the lack of a charismatic leader.
In May 2011, billionaire businessman
Mikhail Prokhorov
Mikhail Dmitrievich Prokhorov ( rus, Михаил Дмитриевич Прохоров, p=mʲɪxɐˈil ˈdmʲitrʲɪjɪvʲɪtɕ ˈproxərəf; born 3 May 1965) is a Russian-Israeli oligarch, politician, and former owner of the Brooklyn Nets. I ...
announced a plan to join the leadership of Right Cause.
Prohkorov promised to make Right Cause Russia's second largest party on a pro-business platform that will "totally transform" the country. In a television interview, Prokhorov said: "we have got to return to a 14 percent tax, leave small business alone, simplify paperwork and let small business work in peace... I think we won't recognize the country in five to 10 years." On 25 June 2011, Prokhorov was elected to the leadership of the party at the party congress of 2011. At the acceptance ceremony, Prokhorov officially criticized the present ruling tandem of Medvedev-Putin, the structure of Russia, and vowed to bring Russia back to a stable development course. In September 2011, Prokhorov said he had quit Right Cause, "condemning it as a 'puppet Kremlin party' micromanaged by a 'puppet master' in the president’s office...,
Vladislav Y. Surkov," according to a report in ''The New York Times''.
On 23 September 2011, the
International Democrat Union
The International Democrat Union (IDU) is an international alliance of centre-right political parties. Headquartered in Munich, Germany, the IDU consists of 84 full and associate members from 65 countries. It is chaired by Stephen Harper, ...
suspended the associate member status of the Right Cause, lamenting that the party was under "direct control" of the Kremlin and all "liberal voices" had been silenced. Instead, the re-founded
Union of Rightist Forces
The Union of Right Forces (SPS; russian: Союз правых сил; СПС; ''Soyuz pravykh sil'', ''SPS''), is a Russian liberal-conservative political public organization and former party, initially founded as an electoral bloc in 1999 and ass ...
was made a new associate member.
2018 election
On 26 March 2016, the party was renamed to the "Party of Growth". In the
2016 State Duma election, the party scored 1.21%, not breaking the 5% barrier and did not pass to the State Duma.
In July 2017, Party of Growth announced that it would hold primaries to nominate a presidential candidate for
2018 election. Four candidates participated in the primaries:
Oksana Dmitriyeva
Oksana Genrikhovna Dmitriyeva ( rus, Оксана Генриховна Дмитриева; born 3 April 1958) is a Russian politician and economist, who currently serves as a deputy of the State Duma since 2021, having previously served in the p ...
,
Dmitry Potapenko
Dmitri (russian: Дми́трий); Church Slavic form: Dimitry or Dimitri (); ancient Russian forms: D'mitriy or Dmitr ( or ) is a male given name common in Orthodox Christian culture, the Russian version of Greek Demetrios (Δημήτριος ...
,
Dmitry Marinichev and
Alexander Huruji. Voting was conducted via the internet from August to November 2017. On 10 August 2017, the party's press secretary told the media that the results of the primaries will be taken into account at the party congress which will be held to decide the candidate for Party of Growth. However, the winner of the primaries would not guarantee themselves the right to run on behalf of the party. On 26 November, it was announced that the party would nominate party leader
Boris Titov
Boris Yuryevich Titov (russian: Борис Юрьевич Титов; born 24 December 1960, Moscow, USSR) is a Russian politician and businessman serving as the presidential commissioner for entrepreneurs' rights since 2012. He has led the Par ...
, who was not involved in the primaries. According to a person from the party leadership, none of the proposed candidates were able to obtain sufficient support. Titov scored 0.8% in the election.
Platform
Party of Growth positions itself as a pro-business party in favour of
free market
In economics, a free market is an economic system in which the prices of goods and services are determined by supply and demand expressed by sellers and buyers. Such markets, as modeled, operate without the intervention of government or any o ...
reforms, privatization, and protecting the interests of the middle class. The party supports "a broad application of the elective principle", including direct elections of mayors and a gradual return to elections of regional governors. It also supports lowering the threshold for election into the
State Duma
The State Duma (russian: Госуда́рственная ду́ма, r=Gosudárstvennaja dúma), commonly abbreviated in Russian as Gosduma ( rus, Госду́ма), is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia, while the upper house ...
from 7% to 5% (the threshold was lowered in 2011). The party platform calls for more control to the legislative branch over the executive branch, openness and transparency in the government, and freedom of information. In the economy, the party supports a model entitled "Capitalism for All", which emphasizes developing domestic demand as the main prerequisite for economic diversification, modernization, and the growth of domestic production. The main stimulus for the economy should not be cheap labour, but high income levels.
According to a 2008 research by Colton, Hale and McFaul, the main policy stances associated with the party by the electorate are liberal economy, pro-Westernism and democracy.
The Party of Growth opposes the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...
, believing that the war has made international investment in Russia "meaningless".
Election results
Presidential
Legislative
Structure
Leaders
*
Georgy Bovt Georgy may refer to:
*Georgy (given name)
*Diminituve for Georgina
*Georgy, the protagonist in ''Georgy Girl'' novel, film, and song
* ''Georgy'' (musical), a musical from the novel ''Georgy Girl''
See also
*Georgi (disambiguation)
*Georgiy Georgy ...
, journalist
*
Boris Titov
Boris Yuryevich Titov (russian: Борис Юрьевич Титов; born 24 December 1960, Moscow, USSR) is a Russian politician and businessman serving as the presidential commissioner for entrepreneurs' rights since 2012. He has led the Par ...
, former leader of the civic organisation
Delovaya Rossiya[СПС ушёл на «правое дело» /]
События на сайте ''Полит.ру''
(''tr."Events on the Polit.ru website"'') ''www.polit.ru'' — 17.11.2008. (until 24 December 2009)
Regional leaders
*
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
– Igor Trunov
*
Moscow Region
Moscow Oblast ( rus, Моско́вская о́бласть, r=Moskovskaya oblast', p=mɐˈskofskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ), or Podmoskovye ( rus, Подмоско́вье, p=pədmɐˈskovʲjə, literally "under Moscow"), is a federal subject of Rus ...
–
Boris Nadezhdin
Boris Borisovich Nadezhdin (russian: Борис Борисович Надеждин; born April 26, 1963) is a Russian opposition politician and Moscow municipal deputy. He served in the 3rd convocation of the State Duma, from 1999 to 2003. Nade ...
*
Primorskiy Krai
Primorsky Krai (russian: Приморский край, r=Primorsky kray, p=prʲɪˈmorskʲɪj kraj), informally known as Primorye (, ), is a federal subject (a krai) of Russia, located in the Far East region of the country and is a part of the ...
–
Nikolai Morozov
*
Amur Region
Amur Oblast ( rus, Аму́рская о́бласть, r=Amurskaya oblast, p=ɐˈmurskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located on the banks of the Amur and Zeya Rivers in the Russian Far East. The administrativ ...
–
Sergei Kukharenko
*
Mordovia
The Republic of Mordovia (russian: Респу́блика Мордо́вия, r=Respublika Mordoviya, p=rʲɪsˈpublʲɪkə mɐrˈdovʲɪjə; mdf, Мордовия Республиксь, ''Mordovija Respublikś''; myv, Мордовия Рес ...
–
Stanislav Aranovich
*
Tyumen Region –
Alexander Bezdelov
*
Nizhegorodskaya Oblast –
Denis Labuza
References
External links
Political Programme of Party of GrowthParty's official site{{Russian political parties
2016 establishments in Russia
Conservative parties in Russia
Liberal parties in Russia
Liberal conservative parties
Political parties established in 2016
Registered political parties in Russia