Russian press says Medvedev dependent

Russian papers across the political spectrum see Kremlin presidential contender Dmitry Medvedev as a dependent figure lacking in personal appeal but propelled by President Putin's support.

Some commentators think he might make a mark as an economic liberaliser, and one sees his apparent inoffensiveness as affording him protection from opposition attacks.

Leonid Radzikhovsky in Rossiyskaya Gazeta

The "liberal Medvedev" is not linked to the security system. The real power in Russia belongs alone to the person who has control of the security system. Putin knows this better than anyone else. And in this situation he chooses as president someone not linked to them! Why? Maybe because Putin thinks that the special services have gained too much power (including, as it is said, in the economic sphere), and he would not like to see them strengthened further, as would be inevitable if someone from that system became president. Maybe one of the reasons why Putin did not want to make a security man his successor was that a president of this kind could too quickly concentrate full power in his own hands.

Carnegie Moscow Centre's Nikolai Petrov in Nezavisimaya Gazeta

Medvedev is perhaps the weakest personality on the political scene in the sense that he does not have his own team or power base and has no ties with the security system, even though this is a significant part of the responsibility of the president... We may see on the contrary the escalation of intrigue, if and when for example the For Putin movement or someone else puts forward another candidate who may also be supported by Putin. But one thing is certain: Vladimir Putin is not going away. I think that he will not go for the trick of renaming president and prime minister, but will be there in some other capacity.

Oleg Kashin in Nezavisimaya Gazeta

Medvedev is much less acceptable to the opponents of the Kremlin than Sergei Ivanov - the latter has the reputation of a security man ... which makes it much easier to fight him. On the other hand, if anyone criticises Medvedev (if this could be called criticism) then it is only for his short stature (162 cm), "teddy-bearish" look - and laughably - for the alleged Jewish origin of his mother as "discovered" by a campaigner for the purity of blood straight after his nomination.

Mikhail Rostovsky in Moskovsky Komsomolets

A president in Russia is nearly a tsar. So if Putin is knowingly prepared to make a jump down the career ladder he will be the only one of his kind. Putin and Medvedev are still withholding something. It is possible that they clearly understand how their relations will be built in their new posts. However, for everyone else this is still a secret behind seven seals.

Olga Pavlikova and Madina Shavlokhova in Gazeta

If the outgoing president simply hands over the electoral resources to his successor, the question of a new configuration of power remains open... in Russia the post of prime minister in itself is nothing - it is filled by a personality.

Anna Bodrava in Moskovsky Komsomolets

The fact that the successor was put forward by the United Russia party means that in the long term Russia will retain its policy of economic liberalisation.

Oleg Kulikov in Pravda

The course of liberal reforms and privatisation will continue, it seems. Despite talk about strengthening the role of the state in the economy, the authorities will continue to sell off everything: the electricity industry, the transport infrastructure, forests, land, etc. It is likely that Medvedev's "liberalism" will be seen in accelerated privatisation.

Tatyana Andrianova and Anastasiya Tsvetova in Nezavisimaya Gazeta

The majority of analysts asked by Nezavisimaya Gazeta said that Medvedev lacks charisma, which in their view is not permissible for a country like Russia.

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