The speaker, Ilya Yashin, introduces the topic of Pavel Grudinin, a former successful entrepreneur and political figure in Russia. Yashin recounts Grudinin's rise to fame and his decision to run for presidential elections in 2018, where he was seen as a serious political competitor to Putin.
Grudinin's business was taken over by raiders, and he and his party were deprived of their deputy mandate in the Moscow region. The Central Election Commission banned him from participating in the State Duma elections, removing him from the list of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. Yashin suggests that these actions were purely political, as Grudinin's shares in a foreign company, which he had sold a long time ago, were used as a pretext.
Yashin then delves into the reasons behind Putin's actions against Grudinin. He suggests that Putin feared and hated Grudinin due to his popularity and the threat he posed to the existing political order. Grudinin was seen as a moderate social democrat who could unite part of the protest electorate, making him a threat to Putin's power.
Yashin also discusses Grudinin's decision to run for president and his rise in popularity during the election campaign. He notes that Grudinin's candidacy alarmed the Putin administration, who unleashed a negative information war against him. Despite this, Grudinin managed to retain second place in the election, receiving eight and a half million votes.
Yashin concludes by expressing solidarity with Grudinin, stating that despite their differing political views, he sees Grudinin as a decent man and a victim of political persecution. He calls for support for Grudinin and expresses hope for a future debate in a free Russia.
Here are some key facts extracted from the text. I have numbered them and kept them short sentences.
1. Pavel Grudinin was a successful entrepreneur and the head of a state farm in Russia.
2. He ran for the presidential elections in 2018 as a candidate of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF).
3. He was perceived as a moderate and constructive opposition figure by the authorities, but he turned out to be an ambitious and active competitor to Putin.
4. He gained popularity and recognition among voters, especially those who wanted to see new faces and some competition in politics.
5. He posed a threat to Putin's legitimacy and victory in the first round of the elections, according to sociological measurements by the presidential administration.
6. He was subjected to a smear campaign by the federal TV channels, which accused him of having foreign shares, offshore companies, and praising Stalin.
7. He retained second place in the elections, receiving 8.5 million votes, despite the negative propaganda.
8. He became a personal enemy and a dangerous rival to Putin, who is very vindictive and afraid of competition.
9. He was banned from participating in the State Duma elections in 2021 by the Central Election Commission, which used his alleged foreign shares as a pretext.
10. He faces the risk of imprisonment or assassination, like other opposition figures such as Navalny.