Expert: Lukashenko will have to pay the bills to Putin

Today Vladimir Putin became President of Russia once again after a four-year hiatus.

To summarize the reign of Dmitry Medvedev and make some predictions on Putin's presidency the website ucpb.org asked the political scientist Viktor Chernov.

- I would focus on two results of Dmitry Medvedev's reign. The first result is that the reign, in fact, was not there. Duumvirate Putin-Medvedev was in power, in which all the key decisions were made either by Putin himself, or by agreement with him. Putin in these four years allowed himself to speak on all matters of domestic and foreign politics - including those which are in the field of presidential powers. Medvedev also sometimes involved in such highly specialized economic issues, which the president usually doesn't deal with. Sometimes it was difficult to understand who is the head of state in Russia - Putin or Medvedev.

The second important result - is that for the first time in 11 years, the Russian society has woken up. Educated people, young people, representatives of the emerging middle class fed up with this game in democracy and they are in full voice declared their protest - in December last year, during the presidential elections yesterday. Let's hope this time the society will not fall asleep and President Putin will be forced to engage in dialogue with this part of Russian society and this will give rise to more or less tangible reforms, the democratization of the Russian political system. Actually, the signs of democracy already exists - for example, the return of elected governors. Yes it will be with some reservations and filters, but such elections will be held.

- And how will the change of power in the Kremlin will impact on bilateral relations between Russia and Belarus?

- I think, there won't be significant changes - the politics against our country was conducted by Putin, not Medvedev. Those integration projects that have been proposed to Belarus and in which it is gradually being drawn, will only continue. Besides, the Belarusian authorities have to pay the bills - to fulfill the explicit and unofficial promises which were given in exchange for the integration discounts. And it is fraught with great dangers for the Belarusian sovereignty.