There was once this beautiful idea: The current corrupt and dubious government relies, for both moral and financial support, above all on equally dubious and corrupt business. They need each other—they divvy up the resource rents together. That is why all these half-finished oligarchic relics dance around United Russia, the All-Russia People's Front, and Putin. They pay for bathyscaphes and hang gliders. They buy hooks for catching super-pike. In return, they get oil fields and construction contracts. This can no longer be changed without changing the government itself. The symbiosis is too stable. An ecosystem: a toad sitting on an oil pipeline, with a mosquito puddle beside it. They need each other very much. But there is business in Russia that is not tied to resource rents. There is business built by people’s hands and minds, not acquired through privatization. Business where the main expenses are paying people and investing in intellectual capital, not these endless “capital expenditures,” where every pipe costs ten times the market price. It exists, it is independent, it is agile—and at the same time it is despised by a government that does not recognize any business where it cannot place its children in million-dollar jobs. And to satisfy its craving for “those trendy internet things,” it created Skolkovo (Russia’s state-backed innovation hub) for itself. So part of the story was the idea that honest, independent politics could rely precisely on this kind of honest, independent business. Of course, there is quiet sympathy. But quiet sympathy won’t get you very far. What is needed is an open position, open funding. What is needed is a “social contract” between politicians who commit themselves to transparent work for the public good and businesses that openly declare their support for such politicians. Not emotions, but a direct declaration of shared interests. That is exactly what we discussed at a meeting with internet entrepreneurs a few weeks ago. Could this idea become reality? Would there be people willing to stop hiding behind the hypocritical line, “we are outside politics”? There were. This is*** a hugely important and truly landmark political event:***
35 internet entrepreneurs publicly backed Alexei Navalny This is unprecedented: since the era of the “equal distancing of the oligarchs” (the Kremlin policy of curbing oligarchic influence in the early 2000s), business had not dared to openly support the opposition Read the full article
A Social Contract Between Entrepreneurs and Politician Alexei Navalny We are entrepreneurs of the “knowledge economy.” We create new products and services, jobs, and pay taxes. Our businesses are built on expertise and intellectual value added, not on margins from selling oil. The rule of law, an independent judiciary, and free elections are not abstract values for us. They are essential mechanisms that ensure fair competition and protection from government arbitrariness. Without them, modern sustainable business is impossible. In Russia today, “telephone justice” (informal rulings handed down through political pressure) takes precedence over all other rights. We know of thousands of entrepreneurs whom the courts have sent to prison on fabricated charges. We see officials forcing businesses into corruption, while parliament rushes through laws that dramatically affect entire industries. The trial of Alexei Navalny and Pyotr Ofitserov, and the verdict handed down in the Kirovles case on July 18, concern every Russian businessman. The message sent to the security services and the courts was unambiguous: any entrepreneur can be convicted simply for buying and selling goods or services. In effect, all Russian business has been placed in the same category as criminals. In a month, Moscow will hold its mayoral election. People often say that “businessmen are outside politics,” but we consider that position cowardly and hypocritical. Fear of public statements and disunity lead nowhere. It is time to admit that politics directly affects business: ourselves, our employees, market regulators, and law enforcement. Organizing and securing political representation are part of our work and a direct social responsibility. ** The upcoming election is a chance for change both for us and for Alexei Navalny, a candidate for mayor of Moscow. Though he had every opportunity for a comfortable career as a lawyer, Navalny has spent many years openly fighting corrupt officials. Even when faced with pressure and threats, Alexei did not abandon his convictions. Both we and Navalny as a politician are interested in making the state apparatus serve the law. That is why we are supporting this particular candidate in the Moscow election. Our support is neither unconditional nor thoughtless. For the first time in Russia’s recent history, instead of wishful thinking and “voting with our hearts,” we are entering into a social contract with a politician. We respect Navalny for his self-belief and his willingness to lose his freedom for his convictions, but our help is not an act of charity. We expect Navalny to defend the rule of law, support independent courts, and ensure real accountability of officials to society. For our part, we will support politician Navalny with our reputations, financial, organizational, and other resources. For the new generation of entrepreneurs, responsibility for Russia’s future is not just pretty words, but a mature attitude toward ourselves and the society around us. We call on Russian businesspeople to support this social contract and Alexei Navalny’s election campaign. **Anton Arnautov, FutureBanking.ru Vadim Asadov, entrepreneur Alexei Babin, Clickberry Denis Belov, Boutique.ru Shahar Waiser, founder of GetTaxi Yury Virovets, HeadHunter Filipp Gladkov, Pixonic Anton Gopka, ParaClassics Anastasia Zotova, bitclass.ru Mikhail Ivanov, Mann, Ivanov and Ferber Elena Ikhsanova, ParaClassics Roman Korneev, Kinokadr Alexander Kulkov, Firmbook Kamil Kurmakaev, Wikimart Alexei Lankin, WallSTR Anna Liberman, Space of Ideas Danil Liberman, Brothers Ventures Maria Liberman, Space of Ideas Olga Lovkova, Bed for Assembly Viktor Lysenko, entrepreneur Mikhail Lyalin, entrepreneur Elena Masolova, Eduson Gadzhi Makhtiev, Kanobu Dilyara Mingalieva, Dish.fm Sergei Molostvov, Innohome Group Ilya Mutovin, Zoon Dmitry Navosha, Sports.ru Valentin Preobrazhensky, Votepoller Stanislav Sazhin, Doctor at Work Ilya Saltanov, Sports.ru Alexei Sorokin, Organik Sergei Sushentsev, Rocket Internet Vitaly Tatsiy, Kinopoisk Mikhail Trofimov, Ideafx Maxim Faldin, Wikimart Sergei Filonov, Aviamarket Zhanna Sharipova, Dish.fm Today it became known that 37 internet company executives had entered into a “social contract” with Alexei Navalny, candidate for mayor of Moscow. The last time prominent companies publicly supported opposition politicians was about 10 years ago—when Mikhail Khodorkovsky, head of Yukos, was still free. Slon asked the heads of Wikimart, Sports.ru, Edison.tv, and HeadHunter what prompted them to openly come out on Navalny’s side. http://slon.ru/russia/gosudarstvo_nas_ne_zamechaet_poetomu_nam_nado_podderzhat_navalnogo-974852.xhtml Entrepreneurs of the new wave backed Alexei Navalny and entered into a social contract with him. More than 30 Russian entrepreneurs involved in developing the “knowledge economy” signed a social contract in support of Alexei Navalny in the Moscow mayoral election (see the list below). “We respect Navalny for his self-belief and his willingness to lose his freedom for his convictions,” the businesspeople write in an open letter to colleagues obtained by H&F. “But our help is not an act of charity. We expect Navalny to defend the rule of law, support independent courts, and ensure real accountability of officials to society.” In return, they are prepared to share their financial, organizational, and reputational resources with the politician. The decision was made on July 24 at a meeting between Alexei Navalny and entrepreneurs organized by Wikimart founders Kamil Kurmakaev and Maxim Faldin. http://www.hopesandfears.com/hopesandfears/news/news/121765-navalniy-kontrakt-biznes This was bound to happen sooner or later. You cannot build an honest opposition on cash and statements like “we are funded by medium-sized business, but we won’t say which ones.” You cannot hope that the government will change its attitude toward business if you do not influence it and do not seek political representation, but only grumble quietly in the smoking room of some RSPP (Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs). I am very glad this happened. Our entire team and campaign headquarters are very proud that we were the first to conclude such a “social contract.” It is a great responsibility, and I am deeply grateful to everyone who signed this appeal. We will continue doing everything we can to set new standards of openness, transparency, and meaningful engagement in our relations with the business community. I hope this letter will serve as an example for entrepreneurs across the country. There is nothing to fear except fear itself. Fear and passivity are precisely the reasons why the worst can happen. Your organizational, financial, and reputational support is needed by hundreds of independent politicians across the country.