Our Manifest - Youth Democratic Movement Vesna

We want to live in a free democratic state that serves the interests of its citizens rather than the corrupt elites.

Therefore, we advocate for:

Change of Power

Democracy is impossible if citizens are effectively deprived of the right to change power through free and competitive elections. We support reforms to the electoral legislation such as removing administrative barriers for candidates, combating falsifications effectively, and expanding opportunities for monitoring.

Free and competitive elections, in turn, are impossible under conditions of practically insurmountable barriers to creating political parties and public organizations. Different political forces should be granted equal rights and opportunities for campaigning and participating in elections.

Separation of Powers

Power should be distributed among independent institutions, as this is the only way to avoid power usurpation and to ensure the court system stays independant. To uphold the principle of separation of powers, a system of checks and balances must be established and maintained.

Parliamentary Republic

We believe that a super-presidential system leads to a destructive imbalance of power, fosters corruption, and leads to the usurpation of authority. Therefore, the role of the president should be limited to ceremonial functions, with power residing in the parliament and government, which are formed based on election results.

Genuine Federalism and Strong Local Government

We believe that the development of our large and diverse country cannot be achieved solely through directives from the capital. More authority and resources should be transferred people locally, allowing them to set regional development priorities. Local authorities should be elected by local residents rather than appointed from above.

Civil Control Over Power

This is a vital part of democracy alongside honest and competitive elections. Therefore, oversight mechanisms such as the publication of open registers of property and legal entities, anti-corruption declarations, and reporting by state corporations should be maintained and developed, rather than dismantled. Citizens should also have the ability to communicate with deputies at all levels of government and have an option to propose initiatives.

Fight Against Corruption

Political corruption poisons the economy and the state, which should work for the people, not for officials. One step towards defeating corruption is the introduction of mandatory declaration of expenses for state officials and the ratification of Article 20 of the UN Convention Against Corruption, which establishes liability for officials if their expenses exceed their legal income.

Lustration

We support a ban on holding public office by individuals who have previously participated in creating and enforcing laws contrary to the European Convention on Human Rights. The ban on holding public office is imposed by court decision and applies to certain deputies, police officers, investigators, judges, and others. However, it does not exclude responsibility, including criminal liability, for specific crimes committed by officials.

We believe that true democracy is impossible without the protection of individual freedoms from state arbitrariness. The Russian Federation has committed to uphold the rights of its citizens, both by enshrining them in the Constitution and by ratifying the European Convention on Human Rights.

Therefore, we advocate for:

Fair, Just, and Independent Courts

Only an independent judiciary branch guarantees each citizen the opportunity to seek truth and justice and to effectively protect their rights. Courts must be shielded from the influence of the executive branch, and individual judges must be protected from their superiors. The privileges of the police and investigation agencies in the judicial process should be abolished. Judges and panels should be elected, with a primary focus on experienced lawyers.

Abolition of Censorship and Guarantee of Freedom of Speech

Russian legislation in this area should be reformed—specifically, articles concerning extremism not related to calls for violence, the status of foreign agents, and undesirable organizations, as well as the repressive wartime legislation should be abolished. The powers of regulatory bodies, including Roskomnadzor and the Ministry of Justice, should be minimized.

An Internet Free from Government Regulation

Such an internet will not only guarantee freedom of speech but also serve as a platform for the self-realization of talented individuals, citizen self-organization, and a crucial support for our economy.

Reform of Law Enforcement Agencies

The police in Russia need reform: the Ministry of Internal Affairs structures should be divided, with some, such as the Center “E,” abolished, and the quota system should be ended. Police training should be less militarized, and police violence should be strictly addressed. The core of police training and operations should be the protection of citizens’ rights and freedoms, not the current authorities.

Humanization of the Penal System

The state should focus on the rehabilitation of individuals rather than destroying their lives and health. Punishments should be proportional to the crime, and the excessive number of articles leading to imprisonment should be reduced. The re-adaptation aspect of the penitentiary system must be developed and improved.

Abolition of Mandatory Military Service

Mandatory conscription should be completely abolished—the military must be professional. No one should be subject to forced detention and labor in military service or persecution for refusing to participate in such service.

Humanization of Drug Policy

We oppose imprisonment and pre-trial detention for offenses under Article 228 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. This will help alleviate the penal system, where a significant portion of inmates are convicted for drug-related offenses.

Equality

We believe that no one should face discrimination based on sexuality, gender identity, nationality, or religious identity. Civil rights, including economic and labor rights, freedom of speech, assembly, and family life, must be the same for everyone. Police must be trained to work with victims of domestic violence, and legislation in this area must also be radically reformed. The “propaganda of homosexuality”, and the other anti-LGBTQ+ legislation must be repealed.

We want Russia to become a free, wealthy, and happy country, where its citizens have the opportunity to fully realize their creative and professional potential and look into their future with confidence.

Therefore, we advocate for the development of a free market economy in our country, where everyone has the right to work, engage in entrepreneurship, earn a decent income, develop their skills and abilities, own property, and manage it freely.

We support:

Reducing Bureaucracy and Lowering the Role of the State in the Economy

We are convinced that excessive bureaucracy and state regulation hinder our economy and limit the freedom and the potential of citizens. The state must create conditions for the growth of prosperity rather than obstruct it.

Lowering the Tax Burden

Excessive taxation harms primarily the poor and middle class, while state corporations and officials benefit from tax breaks and subsidies. We advocate for a simple, balanced, and moderate tax policy that will not stifle economic growth and will allow citizens to accumulate wealth, save, and spend their earned income as they see fit.

Ending the Convergence of State and Business

We oppose an oligarchic economic system where entrepreneurs close to the authorities receive large state contracts, privileges, and subsidies. This corrupts the power system, degrades the quality of goods and services, and destroys cities, infrastructure, and the country’s natural resources. We believe that our economy should be based on fair competition and be driven by consumers, not by the friendship between the oligarchs and the officials.

Demonopolizing the Economy

Currently, Russia’s economy is controlled by oligarchs and state monopolies. However, large state corporations are not the “success stories” as they are oftenly portrayed, but rather feudal fiefdoms with poor management, uncompetitive production, and excessively high managerial salaries.

A modern developed economy should be based on fair competition rather than monopolies. Therefore, we advocate for the breakup and sale of state corporations through transparent auctions to various owners.

A Fair Pension Reform

The current “solidarity” pension system is ineffective, and changes in Russia’s demographic situation cast doubt on its future viability.

We support a gradual transition to a fully funded pension system, the ability to pass on these savings through inheritance, and the choice of retirement age. Only in this way will citizens’ pension savings truly belong to them, and the state will not have the opportunity to continue misappropriating them.

Additionally, we consider it important to abolish pension privileges for law enforcement officials—every citizen should have equal rights.

We aim to build a modern and free education system in Russia that will drive the progress of our country and focus on the development of individuals. We are convinced that it is not enough to just change teaching methods or the curriculum — there needs to be a complete overhaul of the system.

We want change and therefore advocate for:

Pluralism of Opinions in Educational Institutions

The education system must not be a tool for imposing state ideology. Political dismissals and layoffs, as well as ideological pressure on students and teachers, must come to an end. Students should be encouraged to develop independent thinking skills and have access to various viewpoints.

Only in an environment of freedom of speech can science thrive. Educational institutions should be places for discussion.

Modernization of Education

Education must provide relevant, up-to-date knowledge. To achieve this, it is crucial to make the learning process more effective through modern technologies and methodologies.

Educational institutions should be free from bureaucracy, including unnecessary reporting and formal performance indicators. Additionally, it is necessary to facilitate cooperation with foreign universities and scholars.

Creating Conditions for the Development of Private Schools and Universities

Increasing the autonomy of higher education institutions and encouraging private initiatives in establishing educational institutions will create competition in the education sector and improve the quality of education itself. Reducing the tax burden on private educational institutions, decreasing bureaucratic control, and providing various grants will support the development of the education system.

Increased Funding for Education

Investing in education is investing in the future of our country and in the development of our economy. Education must be accessible to everyone and be a priority in budget formation. We need to improve educational facilities technically, renovate our schools and universities, purchase necessary equipment, and raise the salaries of education workers. The salary of a school teacher and university staff should reflect their high status and impact on the future of our country. This will help attract the best talent to the education sector, making it up-to-date and effective.

Development of Vocational Education

Vocational education in Russia is effectively destroyed: colleges and technical schools provide low-quality education and attending them leads to social stigma. We want to see modern, high-quality, and well-funded vocational education that both the country and the students can be proud of.

Development of Student Self-Governance

Student self-governance in current Russia is often a facade, as student organizations are frequently subordinated to university management. This must change: students should have the ability to genuinely influence organizational and educational processes, and their rights to accessible, high-quality, and convenient education must be protected.

Our Manifesto

State Structure

Human Rights

Economy

Education

Religion