All-Russia People's Front

The All-Russia People's Front (ONF; Russian: Общероссийский народный фронт; ОНФ; Obshcherossiyskiy narodnyy front, ONF), is a political coalition in Russia started in 2011 by then-Prime Minister of Russia Vladimir Putin to provide United Russia with "new ideas, new suggestions and new faces". It is intended to be a formal alliance between the ruling party and numerous Russian nongovernmental organizations. On 12 June 2013, Putin was elected its leader.[9]

All-Russia People's Front Общероссийский народный фронт
Abbreviation	ONF (English) ОНФ (Russian)
Leader	Vladimir Putin
Founded	6 May 2011
Headquarters	40th Building, Mosfilmovskaya Street, Moscow, Russia. 119285
Membership (2018)	125,000
Ideology	Russian nationalism[1] Russian conservatism National conservatism[2][3] Social conservatism[4] Putinism Statism[5][6]
Political position	Big tent
Member parties	United Russia A Just Russia[7] Rodina New People[8] Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine
Colors	White,   blue,   red (Russian national colors)
Slogan	"If you are for Putin, then you are for the Front" (Russian: "Если ты за Путина, значит ты за Фронт")
Seats in the Federation Council	131 / 170
Seats in the State Duma	336 / 450
Website
onf.ru
Politics of Russia Political parties Elections

History

Poster of the front in a Marshrutka

At the meeting of United Russia on 6 May 2011, Putin called for the creation of a "broad popular front [of] like-minded political forces" to participate in the Duma election. He included United Russia and other political parties, business associations, trade unions and youth', women's and veterans' organizations. He claimed that United Russia's party list would include non-party candidates nominated by these organizations.

A website was set up involving headquarters, regional branches and leadership. The Front urged individuals and groups that care about the "fate" and "victory" of Russia and want "access to participation in power" to fill out an application on the website. Putin's aides have stated that he is the "informal head" of the popular front, but deputy prime minister and chief of government staff Vyacheslav Volodin was named the head of the popular front headquarters.

In April 2011 at a meeting with the Coordinating Council of the People's Front, Putin said the activities of the front would continue after the election season. At the same meeting, Putin also said that Russia should ensure that the parliament remained a leading political force.[10] By May 2011, hundreds of businesses had enlisted their workforces in the organization, including around 40,000 from the Siberian Business Union.[11]

On 12 June 2013, the movement convened its inaugural congress, electing Putin as its leader.[9] The congress also elected the front’s Central Staff: film director Stanislav Govorukhin, Delovaya Rossiya, co-chairman Alexander Galushka and State Duma member Olga Timofeyeva.[9]

According to the Charter, the Front’s goal is "promotion of unity and civil solidarity in the name of Russia’s historical success"; the country’s development as a free, strong and sovereign state with a robust economy; fast economic growth; and reliance on the family. On the list of the ONF founders were 480 people, including trade union activists, workers, scientists, culture workers, athletes, businessmen, farm and medical workers and politicians.[12]

On 4 December 2013, the conference of the Front was held. The conference, which ran until 6 December, discussed the process of implementing reforms in healthcare, economy, community services, education and culture. The meeting held numerous round tables on the president’s so-called "May decrees" and tackled internal agenda items.[13][14]

In January 2014, the Front registered its first regional office in the city of Lipetsk, located about 440 kilometers south of Moscow, with Russia’s Justice Ministry.[15]

On October 21, 2019, the Supreme Court of Russia, following a lawsuit by the Ministry of Justice, liquidated the Agrarian Party of Russia for insufficient participation in the elections for 7 years, thus also ending its participation in the Front.[16]

Member organizations

Name (abbreviation)		Ideology	Position	Leader	State Duma	Federation Council	Government
	United Russia[17] Единая Россия	Conservatism Statism	Big tent	Dmitry Medvedev	339 / 450	128 / 170	government
	A Just Russia[18][19][20] Справедливая Россия	Social democracy Left-wing nationalism	Centre to Centre-left	Sergey Mironov	23 / 450	4 / 170	Support for government
	Rodina[21] Родина	Russian ultranationalism Right-wing populism	Right-wing to Far-right	Aleksey Zhuravlyov	1 / 450	1 / 170	outside support for government
	New People[22] Новые люди	Liberalism Communitarianism	Centre-right	Alexey Nechayev	0 / 450	0 / 170	outside support for government
	Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine[23] Прогрессивная социалистическая партия Украины Прогресивна соціалістична партія України	Russophilia Left-wing populism	Big tent	Nataliya Vitrenko	0 / 450 (seats in Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine)		not in Russia, not in government of Ukraine

The All-Russia People's Front also includes the following organisations:[24]

• Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia
• Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs
• Young Guard of United Russia
• Siberian Business Union
• All-Russian Public Civil-Patriotic Movement
• Union of Pensioners of Russia
• Union of Transport Workers of Russia
• Union of Russia Women
• Killed Roads movement
• Support of Russia

Analysis

According to journalist Steve Rosenberg in an article for the BBC, the ONF may replace United Russia in the future, which was the probable reason for its establishment.[25]

References

1. Chen, Cheng (6 July 2016). The Return of Ideology: The Search for Regime Identities in Postcommunist Russia and China. University of Michigan Press. p. 87. ISBN 9780472119936. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
2. "Russia parliament elections: How the parties line up". BBC News Online. BBC. 6 March 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
3. Sakwa, Richard (2013). Power and Policy in Putin's Russia. Routledge. p. 7. ISBN 9781317989943. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
4. Kazharski, Aliaksei. Eurasian Integration and the Russian World. Central European University Press. p. 183.
5. Sakwa, Richard (2013). Power and Policy in Putin's Russia. Routledge. p. 7. ISBN 978-1-317-98994-3. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
6. de Vogel, Sasha (25 October 2012). "New Russian "Patriots"". The Institute of Modern Russia. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
7. Общероссийский народный фронт утвердил формат взаимодействия со СПРАВЕДЛИВОЙ РОССИЕЙ
8. Нечаев Алексей Геннадьевич - Член Центрального штаба ОНФ, президент ОАО «Фаберлик»
9. Putin becomes Popular Front for Russia leader, Interfax-Ukraine (13 June 2013)
10. "People's Front to Remain Active After Elections - Putin, RIA Novosti, April 3, 2012". En.rian.ru. 2011-05-06. Retrieved 2013-01-08.
11. "Echo of Soviet era in Putin's bid for votes". The Australian. 2011-06-17.
12. "Putin-led People's Front for Russia - supra-party resource uniting society". Itar Tass. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
13. "Putin to attend All-Russia People's Front conference". Voice of Russia. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
14. "Putin Complains of Rusty Water at Home". RIA Novosti. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
15. "Putin-Led Civic Movement Registers First RegionalBranch". RIA Novosti. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
16. Decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation No. AKPI19-796 of October 21, 2019
17. https://onf.ru/structure/documents-0/
18. Общероссийский народный фронт утвердил формат взаимодействия со СПРАВЕДЛИВОЙ РОССИЕЙ
19. Захар Прилепин Член центрального штаба ОНФ
20. https://rg.ru/2011/12/20/onf.html "Патриоты России" вступят в Общероссийский народный фронт
21. https://onf.ru/structure/documents-0/
22. Нечаев Алексей Геннадьевич - Член Центрального штаба ОНФ, президент ОАО «Фаберлик»
23. https://regnum.ru/news/polit/1429291.html
24. https://onf.ru/structure/rukovodstvo-0/
25. "Putin inaugurates new movement amid fresh protests". BBC. Retrieved 2013-06-12.

External links

• Declaration of the Formation of the All-Russia People's Front (in English)