Ksenia Sobchak 2018 presidential campaign

The 2018 presidential campaign of Ksenia Sobchak was announced in a YouTube video, on 19 October 2017.[2]

Ksenia Sobchak Against All
Campaigned for2018 Russian presidential election
CandidateKsenia Sobchak
TV anchor, journalist
AffiliationCivic Initiative
StatusAnnounced
19 October 2017
Presumptive nominee
15 November 2017
Official nominee
23 December 2017
Lost election:
18 March 2018
HeadquartersMoscow
Key peopleChief of staff:
Igor Malashenko
Receipts19,440,296.99 roubles[1]
SloganПротив всех
#Япротив
Against All
#I'mAgainst!
Websitesobchakprotivvseh.ru

Sobchak from the beginning of her campaign billed herself as the "candidate against all". In Russia the option to vote for "none of the above" (literally "against all") on a federal level (i.e. in presidential elections and elections to the State Duma) was abolished in 2006.

Announcement and nomination

Rumors about the nomination of Ksenia Sobchak in the 2018 election appeared a month before she officially announced that she would run for president.[3]

Sobchak announced that she would run for President on 19 October 2017, in a YouTube video.[2] In the video, Sobchak said she is the candidate "against all", because since the 2004 election, the "against all" option (or "none of the above" as it is more commonly known in English-speaking countries) has been excluded from the ballot, and Sobchak wants to give people the opportunity to again vote "against all". At the same time, Sobchak said she will withdraw her candidacy if Alexey Navalny is registered as a candidate by the Central Election Commission.[4]

Originally Sobchak put herself forward as an independent candidate. In this case she would have had to collect at least 300,000 signatures in order to be admitted to the election. Soon after, however, Sobchak's campaign team said that would be nominated by a political party, namely the People's Freedom Party or Civic Initiative.[5]

On 15 November 2017, it was announced that Sobchak will be nominated by Civil Initiative at its convention in December.[6]

On 23 December 2017, at the Civic Initiative convention Ksenia Sobchak was officially nominated for president. On the same day, Sobchak joined the party.[7]

Campaign

Regional headquarters
Ksenia Sobchak speaks with a pensioner during a trip to Yekaterinburg on December 16, 2017

Kseniya Sobchak's presidential campaign includes opening regional headquarters and holding meetings with voters in different cities. The opening of the first regional headquarters was held on 29 November 2017 in Rostov-on-Don.[8]

Opening of regional headquarters and meeting with voters
Date Place Head
29 November 2017 Rostov-on-Don Anastasia Shevchenko
2 December 2017 Saint Petersburg[9] Nikolay Artyomenko
6 December 2017 Nizhny Novgorod[10] Ilya Nikolayev
12 December 2017 Saratov[11] Anastasia Moskaleva
16 December 2017 Yekaterinburg[12] Yevgeny Ron

People

Campaign staff

Ksenia Sobchak's campaign manager is Igor Malashenko.[13] In 1996, Malashenko worked in the election staff of Boris Yeltsin, where he was engaged in working with the media.

Andrey Movchan and Vladislav Inozemtsev were responsible for Sobchak's economic program.[14]

Also involved in the campaign was Vitaly Shkliarov, who had experience working as an advisor for political campaigns abroad (including campaigns for Angela Merkel, Barack Obama and Bernie Sanders).[15]

Policy advisors

Sobchak's chief political consultant was her colleague from television channel TV Rain Stanislav Belkovsky.[16]

Communications

Sobchak's press secretary was Ksenia Chudinova.[14]

Political consultant Vitaly Shklyarov was responsible for Sobchak's online campaign. Videos and the YouTube channel are managed by filmmaker Sergey Kalvarsky. Rustem Adagamov is responsible for the social media campaign.[17][14]

Alexey Sitnikov was initially responsible for collecting signatures and working with volunteers, however, he and his team soon quit.[18]

Political positions
Sobchak campaigning in St. Petersburg in November 2017

Economic views

Sobchak is a supporter of free-market capitalism and privatization. Outlining her economic views, she writes:

"Russia is a country of a free economy with a strong state sector. All large state corporations should be privatized with antitrust restrictions. The state should not control any sectors of the economy, the state's share in enterprises and industries should be limited to breaking up monopolies. Private property should be protected by law, the review of any ownership and nationalization are possible only on a reimbursable basis on the basis of independent market valuations. Reform of tax and regulatory legislation and practices should stimulate the development of private entrepreneurship, small and medium-sized businesses, technological and innovative development of enterprises, education. The list of licensed branches of the economy should be significantly reduced."[19]

Views on patriotism and nationalism

Sobchak describes herself as a patriot and a nationalist. However, she believes that much of the patriotism in Russia today is artificial. She writes, contrasting patriotism unfavorably with the situation in Israel: "Israel, in my opinion, is a hymn to the power of the human spirit... Patriotism, not imposed from above, but born within a person. And that's another amazing thing. This sense of the importance of your life for the state [in Israel] is created by many more small, as if imperceptible actions... And these little details are much more valuable than all the spirit-lifting speeches on May Day and Victory Day. And I sit, listen and feel bitter from the fact that in my home country all this is not".[20]

Views on feminism

Sobchak describes herself as a feminist. In her manifesto, she derides the lack of women's representation in industry and politics. "Almost 500 heavy professions in Russia are officially closed to women. But among all the others - the salary of a woman is almost 30% less than that of a man. Among the most important companies in the country, women head only about 5%. ... In any case, half the country's population deserves a female voice for the first time in 14 years in these allegedly male games."[19]

On the status of Crimea

Ksenia Sobchak said that the unconditional return of Crimea to Ukraine is impossible.[21] However, she also said that, having annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, Russia violated the 1994 Budapest Memorandum; she claimed on 24 October 2017 that "Under these agreements, we agreed that Crimea is Ukrainian, which is the most important to me". Sobchak stressed that she did not consider the issue with Crimea resolved. "I believe that these things need to be discussed, it is very important to discuss them....look for some ways out."[22][23] She also added that "the most important thing that Russia and Ukraine should do now is to restore our friendship at any cost."[22] Simultaneously she suggested to hold a new referendum on the status of Crimea after "a broad and equal campaign."[24]

Other Views

Sobchak has said that if she becomes president, she will remove the body of Vladimir Lenin from Red Square, since, in her opinion, this is an indicator of a "medieval way of life in the country... so the corpse of Lenin must be removed from Red Square."[25] Sobchak's proposal has led to widespread criticism, with Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov stating: "It's tragic for the country when Ksenia and the like appear, who do not respect the will of this great country."[26]

Developments
Sobchak questions Putin at his 2017 press conference

Sobchak, as a reporter, confronted Putin on December 14 at his annual press conference. She asked him why there was a strong lack of political competition and why Navalny is not being permitted to run. In his response, Putin criticized Sobchack's candidacy asking, “You're running under the slogan 'Against All'. Is that really a positive programme? What are you offering?”[27]

Sobchak traveled to the United States in order to make an appeal to expatriate voters living there.[28]

On February 28, during the first debate with several candidates, Sobchak chastised Vladimir Zhirinovsky for interrupting Sergey Baburin. In reply, Zhirinovsky angrily uttered expletives at Sobchak (reportedly, amongst other pejoratives, calling her a "fucking whore" and a "crazy bitch").[29] In response, Sobchak threw water at Zhirinovsky.[29][30] On March 4, while she was campaigning in Moscow in sub-zero temperatures, Sobchak was drenched with water by a supporter of Zhirinovsky, who was intending to retaliate for Sobchak's interaction with Zhirinovsky at the debate.[29]

On March 15, Sobchak announced that after the election she would be forming a new political party named the "Party of Changes". She will partner with Gennady Gudkov to create the party.[31] On the day of the election, Sobchak visited, and got into an argument with Navalny, who she urged to join her party.[32]

References
  1. "Финансирование выборов". Central Election Commission. January 6, 2018. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
  2. Собчак, Ксения (October 19, 2017). Ксения Собчак — кандидат "против всех" – via YouTube.
  3. "A Female Candidate For A 'Predictable Election'? Kremlin Floats Women Challengers To Putin". Rferl.org. 2017-09-01. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  4. ""Если Навального зарегистрируют, я сниму свою кандидатуру": первое интервью кандидата в президенты Ксении Собчак". Tvrain.ru. 2017-10-18. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  5. "Штаб Собчак обсудил три схемы выдвижения в президенты". Rbc.ru. 2016-12-22. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  6. "Ксения Собчак пойдет на выборы от партии бывшего министра". Rbc.ru. 2016-12-22. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  7. "Ксения Собчак выдвинута кандидатом в президенты РФ от "Гражданской инициативы"". 1tv.ru. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  8. "Собчак открыла первый предвыборный штаб". Vedomosti.ru. 2017-11-29. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  9. "Собчак открыла предвыборный штаб в центре Питера". Vesti.ru. 2018-03-14. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  10. "Открытие Штаба В Нижнем Новгороде". Sobchakprotivvseh.ru. Archived from the original on 2017-12-09. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  11. "Открытие Штаба В Саратове". Sobchakprotivvseh.ru. Archived from the original on 2017-12-09. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  12. "Ксения Собчак открыла штаб в Екатеринбурге". Sobchakprotivvseh.ru. Archived from the original on 2017-12-23. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  13. "Предвыборный штаб Собчак возглавит Игорь Малашенко". Ntv.ru. 2017-10-24. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  14. "«Святые 1990-е»: зачем Собчак сделала главой своего штаба основателя НТВ". Rbc.ru. 2016-12-22. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  15. "Sanders Campaign Aide to Work on Sobchak's Presidential Bid". www.themoscowtimes.com. The Moscow Times. October 19, 2017. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
  16. "Белковский вошел в предвыборный штаб Собчак". Snob.ru. 2016-11-28. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  17. "Собчак доверила ведение своей кампании в соцсетях Адагамову". Rbc.ru. 2016-12-22. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  18. ""Нет денег, и все начальники". Главный политтехнолог штаба Ксении Собчак проработал всего неделю". Meduza.io. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  19. Ksenia Sobchak announced the participation in the presidential elections in Russia October 18 18:30, Ksenia Sobchak for Vedomosti
  20. Israeli lessons of patriotism K. Sobchak, 16:48, 22.06.14, snob.ru
  21. Sobchak says civil war to start in Russia if Crimea returned to Ukraine, UNIAN 20 December 2017
  22. Putin's rival Ksenia Sobchak: Crimea belongs to Ukraine under law, UNIAN, October 24, 2017
  23. (in Russian) Ksenia Sobchak: the question of belonging to the Crimea should be discussed, vesti.ru, October 25, 2017
  24. Sobchak stands for new referendum in Crimea, UNIAN, 27 October 2017
  25. Ksenia Sobchak suggested removing the body of Lenin from the Red Square October 27, 17:00
  26. Zyuganov frightened by Sobchak's proposal to remove Lenin's body from Red Square October 27, 2017
  27. Luhn, Alec (December 14, 2017). "Vladimir Putin says it's 'not my job' to create rivals for his 2018 election bid, as he hosts annual press conference". www.telegraph.co.uk. The Telegraph. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
  28. Craw, Victoria (February 27, 2018). "Russian socialite-turned-politician has sights set on Vladimir Putin in March elections". news.com.au. News Limited. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
  29. Kranz, Michael (March 6, 2018). "A Moscow city council staffer doused Russian presidential candidate and socialite Ksenia Sobchak with water in sub-zero temperatures". www.businessinsider.com. Business Insider. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
  30. "Sobchak throws water as Russian presidential debate descends to bickering". www.euronews.com. EuroNews. March 1, 2018. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
  31. Petkova, Mariya (March 18, 2018). "Russia's Ksenia Sobchak announces new party before election". www.aljazeera.com. Al Jazeera. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  32. Gutterman, Steve (March 18, 2018). "As Putin Cruises, Navalny And Sobchak Spar In Election-Day Standoff". www.rferl.org. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
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