Putin kicks Medvedev’s spin doctor out

The Kremlin has dropped prominent adviser Gleb Pavlovsky over his publicly stated preference for Dmitry Medvedev in next year’s presidential vote, highlighting sensitivities over apparent rivalry with Vladimir Putin, Vedomosti reported Wednesday.

Pavlovsky had “openly bet on Dmitry Medvedev, offering to discuss his modernization agenda within the election campaign,” an unidentified Kremlin official told the daily.

Pavlovsky runs the Foundation for Effective Politics, a think tank that advised the Kremlin in an unofficial capacity. Kremlin officials told the paper it would no longer be working with Pavlovsky’s foundation, effectively severing ties with him.

In the lead-up to State Duma elections in December and next year’s presidential vote, political figures have not shown preference for any one member of the ruling duo but expressed growing nervousness over the uncertainty.

Pavlovsky threw his weight behind President Medvedev over the past year in interviews with several media outlets. He first broke a taboo two years ago when he speculated about a possible coup against Prime Minister Putin from within.

A Kremlin official on Wednesday denied a political motive behind Pavlovsky’s departure, telling Interfax that he had played a minor role in drafting Kremlin policies and resigned voluntarily.

“He did not provide any special political consulting lately,” the unidentified official said. “His responsibilities were mainly limited to reviewing regional media, which, in the age of the Internet … is hardly a unique service.

“He was kept in the job mainly because of his past achievements,” the official added.

But Pavlovsky insisted that he was removed from the Kremlin for his vocal support of a second term for Medvedev. The tandem’s refusal to announce their candidate “has dragged on for too long and weakens the whole party of power,” Pavlovsky told Rusnovosti.ru.

“Putin has done all he could, and now he has to help Medvedev with his future presidency,” Pavlovsky said.

Neither Putin nor Medvedev has commented on the issue.

But Putin said Tuesday during a trip to Denmark that the tandem would not take Western advice into account when deciding on the candidate.

“Future candidates for president of the Russian Federation do not need support from abroad,” Putin said when asked by a reporter about calls by some in the West for him to stay out of the election.

“Future candidates for president of Russia need the support of the Russian people,” he said, without elaborating.

In a poll released this week, 39 percent of Russians believe that Putin will become president in the 2012 poll, while 28 percent are predicting a victory for Medvedev, Vedomosti reported, citing the independent Levada Center.

Twitter storms into Welsh politics

The Welsh party  Plaid Cymru discovered this weekend the power of Twitter. Theparty wasn’t quick enough to snaffle the Twitter handle @plaidcymru.

Plaid opted for the name @plaid_cymru. And while the “unofficial” tweeter appeared to be a Plaid supporter at the conference, the tweets were not, er, entirely helpful in terms of image.

“Still a bit quiet here – but sure more people are on the way – it’s still early! #plaidconf,” came the first tweet, at the start of the day, indicating a perhaps disappointing turnout at the Wales Millennium Centre.

“We should aim to put @IeuanWynJones in the top job and that means have a Plaid/Tory/LD coalition,” it said later. This is not, as it transpires, official party policy going into the election.

“Ieuan is here – Small but very vocal crowd to meet him at Millennium Centre!,” came a later tweet.

But what caused most trouble was the tweet: “After Japan, #plaidconf will be able to reaffirm opposition to ALL nuclear power. #plaidcymru can settle the debate once and for all.”

This, of course, is not Plaid policy, what with Ieuan Wyn Jones’ constituency being Anglesey and nuclear being quite popular there in terms of employment. Obviously not true, then?

Er… not if you’re Shadow Economic Development Minister Darren Millar, who took it at its word and instantly issued a press release attacking Mr Jones for “actively campaigning for what would be a massive blow to his Anglesey constituents and have a negative impact on the economy of North Wales”.

“I am appalled that Plaid would seek to use the disaster in Japan for political advantage… To imply that Wylfa could pose a similar risk to people in North Wales is a disgrace.”

Whoops! Still, Mr Millar was not the only one taken in. Welsh-language current affairs website Golwg360 also believed it, running the story until a furious Plaid press officer rang to inform them it was all a hoax.

But who’s behind it? All fingers are pointing towards a certain member of Labour staff at Westminster known for his online shenanigans…

JOINED-UP Plaid Cymru thinking.

March 24, 2011: Leader Ieuan Wyn Jones contrasts the message which Plaid is campaigning on in the Assembly Election with that of Labour, whose Shadow Welsh Secretary Peter Hain has said the election should be used to “send a message to David Cameron”.

Mr Jones says: “If you frame it in that way you accept there’s nothing else you can do. Labour are hardly going to make the Conservatives and Lib Dems reduce the cuts. It’s about, what do you do in the next few years? You’ve got to look at innovative ways. Just standing up for Wales isn’t enough.”

March 25, 2011: Director of Policy Nerys Evans sums up the campaign. “I hope the people of Wales send a clear message to the Tories and Lib Dems in this election.”

PLAID has sought to make education the key plank of its Assembly Election platform.

Indeed, Ieuan Wyn Jones pledged to put “raising standards in education at the heart of the party’s manifesto for the 2011 Welsh General Election”.

Before adding the baffling: “We will aim to have illiteracy rates by the end of the next Assembly term.”

Things are so bad, it is even affecting the people who write the Deputy First Minister’s speeches.

Danish opposition leader hired Obama’s spin doctor

While the opposition is preparing the allocation of ministry posts, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, the Social Democrat leader, is leaning back in mental preparation for becoming the next prime minister.

As part of this preparation, Thorning-Schmidt has reportedly received advice from John Podesta, who chaired Barack Obama’s transition team after Obama’s election victory in 2008 and served over two years as Bill Clinton’s chief of staff.

“Of course it’s not right make direct comparisons between Denmark and the US, but we have some experience that Helle could draw on,” Podesta, who has advised Thorning-Schmidt to spend no more than 45 minutes a week discussing a takeover with public officials, told Jyllands-Posten newspaper.

Thorning-Schmidt and Socialist People’s Party leader Villy Søvndal have also reportedly agreed that the Social Democrats will be given around half of the cabinet seats, while SF would get two thirds of the remaining seats, and the Social Liberals would get the remaining third.

Meanwhile, a group of officials from the Social Democrats and the SF is working on a joint proposal for a long-term economic plan for Denmark, which would function as the basis for a left of centre government.

It recently emerged that the two parties are planning to create a number of new ministries, including a new ministry that would coordinate efforts between ministries.

In addition, the most powerful ministers would be advised by a team of three spin doctors.

A newly-published book claimed that the Social Democrats have made a “death list” of top civil servants whose functions the party believes are too characteristic of the current government’s policies, and who the party would seek to replace. The Social Democrats have, however, denied that claim.