On Friday, Russian leader Vladimir Putin announced that he would run again in the presidential elections in March. Putin has ruled Russia for almost a quarter of a century. The re-election, which is effectively ceremonial, will give him another six years in office.
Nevertheless, there are opposing candidates. One of them is Ekaterina Duntsova: lawyer, journalist and local politician. The 40-year-old mother of three lives in the city of Rzhev, around 200 kilometers west of Moscow. Their central political goal is the release of all political prisoners. She wants to end the war in Ukraine through negotiations. “Over the last ten years, our country has been moving in the wrong direction, heading towards self-destruction,” it says on its website. In the interview she says: “I wanted people to understand that power can be replaced, that something like this is possible in principle.”
ntv: You are a local politician and want to become president. What motivated you to do this?
Ekaterina Duntsova: Trust in power is growing here [in der Kommunalpolitik] born. People come and want to get something, but the powers at the provincial level are very limited. The person needs something, asks for help and gets a rejection in response – with the justification that we have given everything to the center. I live just like everyone else here. I know what difficulties people have here. The federal politicians think that they know what people need. But they are far from ordinary people. You don’t know how these people live.
They also make political demands.
Why, surely. People’s rights and freedoms are important. The first thing I would do, I would free all political prisoners. These people openly expressed their opinions and now have to sit in prison camps just for their words. And the penalties are extremely high. Among these people there are some who are sick, some terminally ill. And what’s particularly bad: there are also girls among these prisoners. I can’t understand it, it’s very cruel. How can political prisoners be treated like this? Cruel, barbaric methods of treating the prisoners are also used.
What is your stance on the Ukraine war?
I am not a fan of collective responsibility. Nobody asked us when this decision was made. The people who have now been drafted are said to be doing their duty. But for the families it is in most cases a tragedy. They remain alone; the women have to support the family. All of this is very complicated and the fatigue is definitely noticeable. We see that the women of the mobilized take to the streets with posters. But not everyone is willing to talk about it openly.
What are you doing professionally at the moment?
I am currently self-employed, a journalist, write articles, and am active on social networks. Right now I hardly do anything other than give interviews. Of course, this is all connected to the presidential election and the fact that I am running.
Who supports you?
I am particularly supported by young people. They publish pictures with me and come up with new slogans for my election campaign. It’s all very creative and I like it. And these young people like it too. They have fun with it. They’ve probably been waiting for this moment for a long time. I don’t know how many there are exactly, but tens of thousands have written to me. Most live abroad but are Russian citizens. They ask me how they can support me. We are collecting signatures [für die Zulassung zur Wahl].
Do you even have a chance?
It’s not about the opportunity. This is an idealistic moment. We want to believe in the elections, and if I don’t believe in myself, then I won’t be able to win the elections. If you don’t believe in yourself, then you don’t believe in the elections, and if you don’t believe in the elections, then you don’t believe in yourself.
What is the most important thing for you in this election campaign? Do you want to share your views with people?
My views are clear, but they have not been heard until now. Who has had the opportunity to express their views recently? I can not remember. The election campaign makes it possible to talk about it. People have stopped talking about it in the last year and a half. We currently control not only what we say, but also what we think. This is terrible.
What do you hope to achieve if you are approved as a candidate for the presidential election?
If we can at least ensure that there is a second round of elections [Anmerkung: die gibt es, wenn kein Kandidat 50 Prozent der abgegebenen Stimmen erreicht], then it’s already a success. Of course, the current president has great support among the people. You have to understand that. Americans had very unpleasant questions for Trump, but we knew that sooner or later Trump would leave. Nobody knows when Putin will leave. I wanted people to understand that power is removable, that something like this is possible in principle. If there is a second round of elections, it will be a great moral support for these people.
What happened to the TV station in Rzhev where you were editor-in-chief?
The television station we founded here was intended as a counterweight to the official stations, which only broadcast the official opinion. We wanted to create a station that would convey the opinions of all citizens. We invited all parties during the elections. We were told to support someone specifically. We replied: Why? These are elections, voters should know their candidates. Media freedom is the foundation of democracy. If we don’t get to know different opinions, then we won’t develop our own opinions. It was claimed at the time that I was being paid for my work from the West. But where are all the suitcases with the money? I was accused of being abroad and being taught how to ruin the foundations of the state. As if I couldn’t think for myself.
We heard that you were summoned and interrogated by the prosecutor’s office in Rzhev. What happened there?
You asked me what I mean when I write that questions of war and peace concern all citizens. That our country is moving in the wrong direction. What I think about the special military operation. [Anmerkung: In Russland ist es verboten, den russischen Überfall auf die Ukraine als “Krieg” zu bezeichnen, offiziell heißt die Invasion nach wie vor “spezielle militärische Operation”.] I said nothing at all about the specific military operation, on the grounds that any statement I made could be misinterpreted. I told them everyone has their own opinion on this, depending on their views and beliefs.
Did you have the impression that the public prosecutor questioned you on their own initiative?
I am convinced that it was an order from above. I know how busy the local prosecutor’s office is, how much they have to do. They wouldn’t waste time reading online comments about my work.
What atmosphere was the conversation in – friendly or aggressive?
It was a polite conversation. I know the people from my previous job, so they were actually friendly. I spoke to the deputy public prosecutor and he explained in a very humane way: We are still talking to you in a relatively friendly manner, but the next conversations that will definitely take place if you continue could be different.
You said that the Second World War was very present for you. What do you mean?
There is a large monument in Rzhev. You can see a Soviet soldier there. He looks at all of us and embodies all the fallen from the Rzhev area. In total, more than a million soldiers died here.
What should one do to avoid wars?
There have been many wars in human history and the fight against war should start with yourself. People should decide for themselves that problems cannot be solved through conflict.
And the war in Ukraine?
In the conflict in Ukraine, I will of course insist on negotiations. Nowadays, Russia is in a more favorable position and is ready to negotiate, but Ukraine is not ready to do so. People should understand each other. The Russians have their own thoughts about who is to blame for everything, but the Ukrainians also have their own view and pain. Ukrainians believe Russia and Putin are the same thing. And they talk about collective responsibility. That’s not true. The number of Russian people who are against the war is larger. And about the Second World War: I very much hope that this page of history remains a page of history. We don’t need other pages like this in our history.
Would remembering the Second World War be an obligation for you as president?
Yes, because our citizens should live in security, and secondly, one should live in friendship, with everyone and with oneself. The special military operation has divided entire families. This is terrible. We need peace, we must not appear to the world as aggressors. People who were forced to leave the country also suffer from this. Stereotypes also arise, such as: the Russians are bad.
What are the key points in your program?
These are not points, but tasks: the liberation of all political prisoners, the abolition of some laws that violate the rights of citizens – including the law on foreign agents. The restoration of trust in the authorities, and of course the restoration of peace.
How do you want to achieve this?
I have done a lot of journalism and understand very well the point of view of those involved in this story. Everyone has their truth. The opinions of those who have to defend their position should be taken into account. The most important thing that everyone wants is that we live in a peaceful country. I very much doubt that people who are currently proclaiming bloody slogans do not want peace. They want this peace as much as anyone else. There’s just a lot of propaganda being spread at the moment. People who sit in front of the TV from morning to night – I just can’t understand how their brains can stand it, it’s terrible. The news is presented on television in such a way that it is simply impossible to maintain common sense. That’s why I say: Use different sources and decide for yourself. At the moment you can still get a lot of information on the Internet. There are reliable sources that verify their information.
If you become president, what will be your first decree?
The decree on the pardon of political prisoners.
Why not stop the war in Ukraine?
Political prisoners can be pardoned in one day. Unfortunately, the conflict in Ukraine cannot be resolved in one day. This is a long job. Unfortunately, we don’t yet know how Ukraine will react, but we want there to be a mutual process.
Peter Leontiev and Rainer Munz spoke to Ekaterina Duntsova