Party of Growth

Party of Growth Партия Роста
Party of Growth logo since 2020
Chairman	Boris Titov[1]
Co-chairs	Boris Titov, Alexander Lyubimov, Oksana Dmitriyeva, Sergey Stankevich [ru], Yevgeny Kogan, Ilya Sachkov, Sergey Shnurov, Kseniya Bezuglova [ru], Nikolai Fomenko[2]
Founder	Boris Titov
Founded	26 March 2016; 8 years ago (2016-03-26)
Dissolved	19 April 2024; 8 months ago (2024-04-19)[3]
Preceded by	Right Cause
Merged into	New People
Headquarters	2nd Building, Bersenevsky lane, Moscow, Russia. 119072
Ideology	Liberal conservatism Conservative liberalism Economic liberalism
Political position	Centre-right[4]
National affiliation	All-Russia People's Front[5] Union of Progressive Political Forces
Colours	Blue   Red
Website
rost.ru
Politics of Russia Political parties Elections

Party of Growth (Russian: Партия Роста, romanized: Partiya Rosta, pronounced [ˈpartʲɪjə ˈrostə]) was a liberal-conservative political party in Russia which had representatives in several local legislatures. Created in March 2016 on the basis of the Right Cause party, the party's main policy stances are liberal free market economy, democracy and protecting the rights of the middle class. The party has been led by Boris Titov since its founding. The party was a member of the pro-Putin All-Russia People's Front.^{[6][7][8][9][10]}

History

Creation

Logo of the Party of Growth before 2020

Right Cause was founded in November 2008 as a merger of three parties: Union of Right Forces (SPS), Civilian Power and Democratic Party of Russia. SPS and Civilian Power were both regarded as liberal parties, supporting free market reforms, protection of private property and a decentralized federal government. The Democratic Party also supported liberal values, but its programme was more conservative and nationalistic.^[11]

By 2008, the three parties were all in a state of decline. While SPS had achieved 8.7% of votes in the 1999 Duma election, in the 2007 election it only received 0.96%. Support for the Democratic Party (0.13%) and Civilian Power (1.05%) in the 2007 election was also low.^[11] SPS—highly critical of Vladimir Putin and United Russia in its 2007 election campaign—was losing voters because Putin had adopted many of the market reforms championed by SPS, and also because companies started to withdraw their financial support from the party. With falling support and votes being lost to United Russia, the three parties, among others, considered mergers in order to survive. The decision to initiate the merger was made in October 2008, and in November the unification was completed. The new party, called Right Cause, was officially registered on 18 February 2009. The party's creation was supported by the presidential administration of Dmitry Medvedev.^[12]

The merger was opposed by SPS founding member and former Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov, who believed the new party would not offer true political opposition, while another SPS founding member Anatoly Chubais, widely considered architect of Russia's privatization programme, voiced strong support for the merger, saying that "a political party is one that participates in elections with chances to win."^[11]

Controversy

Despite allegations that the party is too close to the Kremlin be a real opposition party, Right Cause was involved in controversy, finding itself in opposition to the authorities. In January 2009, an arrest warrant was issued for Yevgeny Chichvarkin, founder of leading mobile phone retailer Euroset and anticipated head of Right Cause for the Moscow Region.^[13] The warrant was issued in absentia, as Chichvarkin is currently in London, England.,^[14] to proclaim its support for Chichvarkin, and according to The Moscow Times, the party suggests that the legal action is "an example of the authorities unjustly targeting business."^[15]

First elections

The first major election where Right Cause took part was the Moscow City Duma elections in October 2009. The party was predicted to receive between 5-8% of the vote, but only managed to register one candidate, who was soundly defeated. Many commentators that assumed that this was part of an effort by city officials of Yury Luzhkov's administration to restrict the chances of opposition parties, many Right Cause members blamed the party leadership for not properly organizing the registration and campaign.^[16]

2011—2016

The party currently has representation in several city legislatures, but lacks representation on the regional level.^[16] According to a survey conducted in March 2008, less than 2% of the Russian population were loyalists of the party.^[12] In April 2011, support for Right Cause was 2.9%. The party's performance has been a disappointment, with analysts attributing its low popularity to the lack of a charismatic leader.^[17]

In May 2011, billionaire businessman Mikhail Prokhorov announced a plan to join the leadership of Right Cause.^[17] Prohkorov promised to make Right Cause Russia's second largest party on a pro-business platform that will "totally transform" the country. In a television interview, Prokhorov said: "we have got to return to a 14 percent tax, leave small business alone, simplify paperwork and let small business work in peace... I think we won't recognize the country in five to 10 years."^[18] On 25 June 2011, Prokhorov was elected to the leadership of the party at the party congress of 2011. At the acceptance ceremony, Prokhorov officially criticized the present ruling tandem of Medvedev-Putin, the structure of Russia, and vowed to bring Russia back to a stable development course.^[19] In September 2011, Prokhorov said he had quit Right Cause, "condemning it as a 'puppet Kremlin party' micromanaged by a 'puppet master' in the president’s office..., Vladislav Y. Surkov," according to a report in The New York Times.^[20]

On 23 September 2011, the International Democrat Union suspended the associate member status of the Right Cause, lamenting that the party was under "direct control" of the Kremlin and all "liberal voices" had been silenced.^[21] Instead, the re-founded Union of Rightist Forces was made a new associate member.^[22]

2018 election

Party of Growth billboard in Yekaterinburg during the 2016 State Duma election

Boris Titov, party leader since 2016 and 2018 presidential nominee

On 26 March 2016, the party was renamed to the "Party of Growth".^[23] In the 2016 State Duma election, the party scored 1.21%, not breaking the 5% barrier and did not pass to the State Duma.

In July 2017, Party of Growth announced that it would hold primaries to nominate a presidential candidate for 2018 election. Four candidates participated in the primaries: Oksana Dmitriyeva, Dmitry Potapenko, Dmitry Marinichev and Alexander Huruji. Voting was conducted via the internet from August to November 2017.^[24] On 10 August 2017, the party's press secretary told the media that the results of the primaries will be taken into account at the party congress which will be held to decide the candidate for Party of Growth. However, the winner of the primaries would not guarantee themselves the right to run on behalf of the party.^[25] On 26 November, it was announced that the party would nominate party leader Boris Titov, who was not involved in the primaries. According to a person from the party leadership, none of the proposed candidates were able to obtain sufficient support.^[26] Titov scored 0.8% in the election.

2023 merger

In December 2023, it was reported that the party will be merged with New People.^[27]

At a joint congress on 19 April 2024, the New People and the Growth Party announced a legal unification, and all delegates voted for the unification. The parties will operate under the general name “New People”. Growth Party leader Boris Titov will head the federal political council.^[28] The only State Duma deputy from the Growth Party, Oksana Dmitriyeva, announced that she would take the position of chairwoman of the regional branch of New People in Saint Petersburg. At the same time, she stated that she did not intend to join the New People faction in the Duma.^[29]

Platform

Party of Growth positions itself as a pro-business party in favour of free market reforms, privatization, and protecting the interests of the middle class. The party supports "a broad application of the elective principle", including direct elections of mayors and a gradual return to elections of regional governors. It also supports lowering the threshold for election into the State Duma from 7% to 5% (the threshold was lowered in 2011).^[30] The party platform calls for more control to the legislative branch over the executive branch, openness and transparency in the government, and freedom of information. In the economy, the party supports a model entitled "Capitalism for All", which emphasizes developing domestic demand as the main prerequisite for economic diversification, modernization, and the growth of domestic production. The main stimulus for the economy should not be cheap labour, but high income levels.^[31]

According to a 2008 research by Colton, Hale and McFaul, the main policy stances associated with the party by the electorate are liberal economy, pro-Westernism and democracy.^[12]

The Party of Growth opposes the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, believing that the war has made international investment in Russia "meaningless".^[32]

Election results

Presidential

Election	Candidate	First round		Second round		Result
		Votes	%	Votes	%
2018	Boris Titov	556,801	0.76%	—		Lost

Legislative

Election	Party leader	Performance					Rank	Government
		Votes	%	± pp	Seats	+/–
2016	Boris Titov	679,030	1.31%	0.71[a]	0 / 450	0	9th[a]	Extra-parliamentary
2021		291,483	0.64%	0.65	1 / 450	1	13th	Opposition

1. Regarding the results of the Right Cause

Structure

Leaders

• Georgy Bovt, journalist
• Boris Titov, former leader of the civic organisation Delovaya Rossiya^[33][34] (until 24 December 2009)

Regional leaders

• Moscow – Igor Trunov
• Moscow Region – Boris Nadezhdin
• Primorskiy Krai – Nikolai Morozov
• Amur Region – Sergei Kukharenko
• Mordovia – Stanislav Aranovich
• Tyumen Region – Alexander Bezdelov
• Nizhegorodskaya Oblast – Denis Labuza
• Tambovskaya Oblast - Yury Antsiferov

References

1. Business Ombudsman Boris Titov was elected chairman of the party "Right Cause" echo.msk.ru
2. https://rost.ru/team/sopredsedateli/ Сопредседатели
3. https://www.rbc.ru/politics/19/04/2024/6622391b9a7947b057605f98 «Новые люди» и Партия роста объявили об объединении
4. Volk, Yevgeny (20 November 2007). "Who's Who in Russia's Parliamentary Elections". The Heritage Foundation.
5. "Партия роста" предложит ОНФ вместе поработать над созданием рабочих мест (tr. "The "Party of Growth" will offer the ONF to work together to create jobs ") ria.ru
6. ""Вы демонизируете Кремль" – ВЕДОМОСТИ". 21 October 2018. Archived from the original on 21 October 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
7. "Суд в Пскове запретил "Яблоку" участвовать в муниципальных выборах". 20 October 2018. Archived from the original on 20 October 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
8. "Кандидаты в главы районов от Псковского "ЯБЛОКА" потребовали в судах признать незаконной регистрацию кандидатов от "Единой России"". 20 October 2018. Archived from the original on 20 October 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
9. "Эхо Москвы :: Интервью: Борис Титов". 3 March 2016. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
10. "Борис Титов – РБК: "Бежать надо вправо, бежать надо в бизнес" :: Политика :: РБК". 4 June 2016. Archived from the original on 4 June 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
11. Wilson, Josh; Decker, Erin (9 April 2010). "Right Cause Searches for Right Path, Part I". The School of Russian and Asian Studies, www.sras.org. Archived from the original on 30 November 2010.
12. Hale, Henry E. (2010). "Russia's political parties and their substitutes". In White, Stephen (ed.). Developments in Russian Politics 7. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-230-22449-0.
13. [1] Archived 2009-03-07 at the Wayback Machine
14. Евгений Чичваркин (Evgeny Chichvarkin ) Right Cause set up a website, Chichvarkin.info Archived 2009-03-03 at the Wayback Machine collection of pressmaterials by Lenta.ru (in Russian)
15. [2] Archived 2009-02-10 at the Wayback Machine
16. Wilson, Josh; Decker, Erin (9 April 2010). "Right Cause Searches for Right Path, Part III". The School of Russian and Asian Studies. Archived from the original on 20 June 2010.
17. "Oligarch Looks to Revamp Party". The Moscow Times. 17 May 2011.
18. Natalya Krainova (23 May 2011). "Prokhorov Promises 2nd Place in Duma". The Moscow Times.
19. O'Connor, Clare (16 May 2011), "Billionaire Nets Owner Prokhorov To Enter Politics…And Take On Putin?", Forbes, retrieved 13 November 2011
20. Kramer, Andrew E.; Barry, Ellen (15 September 2011), "Amid Political Rancor, Russian Party Leader Quits", The New York Times, retrieved 13 November 2011
21. IDU suspends Right Cause, Russia as Associate Member Archived 2012-03-24 at the Wayback Machine, International Democrat Union, www.idu.org, 23 September 2011. Retrieved 13 November 2011
22. IDU elect John Howard Leader, welcomes ten new members Archived 2012-03-24 at the Wayback Machine, International Democrat Union, www.idu.org, 23 September 2011. Retrieved 13 November 2011
23. "Just Cause" was renamed to "Party of Growth" meduza.io
24. Рост. primaries.rost.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 8 August 2017. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
25. "Члены Партии роста предложили Путину уйти с поста президента" [Members of the Growth Party suggested that Putin step down as president]. РБК. 10 August 2017. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
26. Ведомости (26 November 2017). "Борис Титов объявил об участии в выборах президента России" [Boris Titov announced his participation in the presidential elections in Russia]. www.vedomosti.ru. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
27. "Партия роста присоединится к "Новым людям"". 24 December 2023.
28. "«Новые люди» и Партия роста объявили об объединении". РБК (in Russian). 19 April 2024. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
29. "Оксана Дмитриева возглавит реготделение партии «Новые люди» в Петербурге | Санкт-Петербург". ФедералПресс (in Russian). 19 April 2024. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
30. "Госдума снизила избирательный порог для партий до 5 процентов" [The State Duma lowered the electoral threshold for parties to 5 percent]. vesti.ru. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
31. Wilson, Josh; Decker, Erin (9 April 2010). "Right Cause Searches for Right Path, Part II". The School of Russian and Asian Studies. Archived from the original on 20 June 2010.
32. Елена Ульянова: Пора остановиться и договориться (tr. "Elena Ulyanova: It's time to stop and agree ") rost.ru, accessed 12 March 2022
33. СПС ушёл на «правое дело» // События на сайте Полит.ру (tr."Events on the Polit.ru website") www.polit.ru (in Russian) — 17 November 2008.
34. "С чистого листа" [From scratch]. Частный Корреспондент. chaskor.ru. 16 November 2008.

External links

• Political Programme of Party of Growth (in Russian)
• Party's official site