The 243 Days of Evgenii Primakov

Abstract

Now that the pre-election season is beginning, it is useful to recall a perennial if often forgotten truth: that policies and politicians should be judged not on the basis of programs and statements, announcements and promises, athletic achievement and vocal talent (we are not putting together a tennis or football team, a dance ensemble or a rock group) but on the basis of action and specific direction. In this context, it is instructive to recall the eight months granted Primakov's government in an attempt to answer the following questions: why was he able to cope with a situation that had become almost hopeless, to do what his predecessors had not succeeded in doing? Who gained and who lost from his dismissal? Finally, what are the political consequences of that period, and what political opportunities have they opened up?