MOSCOW, April 23 (RIA Novosti) - The United Russia is choosing a social conservative policy, Boris Gryzlov, its leader and Speaker of the State Duma-parliament's lower house, said to a General Council session of the parliamentary majority party.
By social conservatism, he means "politics of gradual reforms, that would be acceptable to a majority", explained Gryzlov.
"The United Russia opposes communist revivalism of all hues and ultra-liberalism alike," pointed out the party leader as he came down on liberals. As he sees their theory, "it consolidates benefits of the rich and the strong, and grants them a head start to harass and handicap new people and companies."
The party leader also came out with criticisms of Cabinet ministers dealing with the economy. "The economic bloc [on the government] ought to give up its penchant for macroeconomics, and give more thought to what the people-in-the-street actually need," he said.
The United Russia thinks it necessary to help the government and draft, by June's start, a package of initiatives on the federal medium-term social and economic program, added Gryzlov.
He thinks the state's role demands reappraisal as the Russian situation has spectacularly changed. "We don't want a state out to control everyone and everything. Neither do we want a state aloof to people's predicaments. The state ought not to paternalize but to help and encourage."
As for developments inside the party, its leader emphatically said the United Russia was not to have "whatever wings and formalized platforms. We shall be at one to implement our party program."
Whatever differences in priorities and political inclinations party members might have, they are all mutually complementary, he pointed out.
Gryzlov, however, wants discussions within the party to make progress. "That is not merely a normal state of a political party but a necessary condition to develop it," he emphatically remarked.
