by Nina Achmatova

In the annual speech to both Houses of Parliament, the head of the Kremlin criticizes amoral and anti-democratic West and defends the conservative policies of Russia. The defense of Christian values in the world, Moscow’s new weapon of soft power.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - In his annual address to the nation on December 12 , President Vladimir Putin has defended the "conservative nature" of Russian politics and promoted the country as a champion of the international "traditional values" , against a West that "is reviewing its norms of morality. " For some it is becoming clearer that the Kremlin is increasingly focusing on these issues as only true weapon of soft powe , after years of being unable to compete against the leitmotif of American "export of democracy " .

Putin defended the national policies in defense of the child and the family, as well as the controversial law against ' gay propaganda ' , which has attracted much criticism in the international community . "We know that there is' a growing number of people in the world, which supports our position on the need to defend the traditional values ​​that have formed the foundation of every civilized nation for thousands of years ," he said, speaking in front of the Houses of Parliament and numerous guests such as the Patriarch of Moscow , Kirill . "Today, many countries are revising their moral and ethical norms, erasing their national traditions and the differences between nations and cultures" he said.

A criticism directed not only towards the U.S., but also Europe, where same-sex marriages have been legalized, and more generally those countries where society is required to recognize not only "the equivalence of different opinions and political views ," but also " the recognition of equivalence of good and evil." "This destruction of traditional values from above not only entails negative consequences for society, but is also inherently anti-democratic because it is based on an abstract notion and runs counter to the will of the majority of people", he warned. ." Russia , by contrast, "has a conservative point of view " , but conservatism does not stop society from progressing but "prevents it from falling backward into chaotic darkness and the state of primitive man.", citing philosopher Nikolai Berdyaev .

Claiming a role as a moral leader , the head of the Kremlin was keen to stress the substantial Moscow's difference to its eternal rival America.  Russia" does not aspire to be called some kind of superpower, understanding that as a claim to world or regional hegemony " or " to teach to others how to live"

Putin is a professed Christian Orthodox, but has only firmly promoted traditional values ​​and the Orthodox Church itself as the foundation of the "successes " of the country and the basis of its unity in recent years. For some analysts, it is in defense of Christian values ​​that today's Russia is trying to rediscover its historical function of a universal character , which has always characterized it - from its aspiration to being the Third Rome, to that of being the home of international communism - and that fatigue find after the collapse of the USSR

 

 

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