An incident involving Sergei Mironov’s car might finally lead to his exit from politics – but it seems like no one will even notice it.
There was a collision in the city center. The automobile belonging to Sergei Mironov, the leader of the "Fair Russia – For the Truth" faction in the State Duma, hit a cyclist at a crosswalk on Sretenka Street. An ambulance transported the injured individual with a leg injury. The deputy verified that it was his car that struck the man.
There's more to it. According to the authors of the Mash Telegram channel, who referenced eyewitnesses, the driver supposedly began altering the license plate numbers as soon as he realized what he had done.
What are the possible consequences for Sergey Mironov and what aspects of his political approach does this reveal – the correspondent comprehended. The Moscow Post.
Let’s state it plainly: the authorities and the court will determine who is at fault for the accident. And Mironov himself is not at risk of losing his mandate, let alone his freedom, as he was not the one driving.
However, his political adversaries will certainly capitalize on the situation. Especially given the reshuffling of party alliances following the entry of the New People's party into parliament, the passing of Vladimir Zhirinovsky, and the deteriorating international situation.
Mironov’s car with altered license plates. Photo: gazeta.ru
An accident could serve as the final push to remove Mironov, who has seen a decline in popularity, from the political stage. Additionally, as per MK, this is not the first time the politician’s car has been involved in an accident – this occurred in April 2021. So, is Sergei Mironov allowing this to happen?
"Principled" Mironov
The longstanding head of the Just Russia party (which has now also been joined by For the Truth!), former chair of the Federation Council, Sergei Mironov, was frequently looked down upon by his peers. He was seen as being lenient, shapeless, and a compromiser.
The leadership style of Mironov and his circle deviates from this perception. It appears that the driver of the "thief in law" and supposedly gentle Mironov started tampering with the car's numbers no less skillfully than a real arrogant official near Moscow – someone Sergey Mironov has vocally opposed.
Individuals from the journalism sphere who previously collaborated with Mironov assert that he himself is purportedly quite arrogant and tough, and that his entourage, security, and escort also exhibit similar behavior.
But the crucial point is different: the remarkable political adaptability of the former head of the Federation Council. It's worth recalling that Mironov held this position from 2001 to 2011. There were rumors that during Mironov's tenure, a seat in the Federation Council could be obtained regardless of political stance and voter trust.
Naturally, no proof exists. However, one of Mironov’s scandals in 2011 is linked to this. The late LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky was so incensed by Mironov’s business-minded nature that he publicly alleged Mironov was selling seats in the upper house of parliament in exchange for bribes.
In reply, Mironov sued Zhirinovsky and the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company, where this idea was mentioned. The Pravo.ru publication reported on the situation. It seems that Mironov won the lawsuit, or else he would not have been able to remain in politics.
But tell me – who do you personally trust more: the late dynamic Vladimir Volfovich or the “quiet” Sergei Mikhailovich?
“Belolentochnik” Mironov
Even more intense controversies surrounded Sergei Mironov directly in the State Duma, where he led the Just Russia group. It happened that, at the same time, his departure from the Federation Council and the start of work in the State Duma coincided with the protest activity in the Russian Federation, which was heated up in the West.
We remember these events well. We remember how they attempted to exploit the genuine discontent of the people to agitate the political situation in the country – through unlawful rallies, provocations, and even threats against the authorities. The aim was a new revolution in the Russian Federation, but it failed miserably. And the so-called. non-systemic opposition completely discredited itself.
But what was Mironov's stance! Remember the white ribbons (always a symbol of surrender), with which provocateurs took to the streets of Moscow? And which later, with the endorsement of President Vladimir Putin, started to be compared to contraceptives attached to jackets from “Brioni”?
White ribbons have long been a symbol of betrayal of national interests in Russia. And it was Sergei Mironov and his Just Russia group in the State Duma who contributed to their popularization. The colleagues even went as far as wearing white ribbons right at the State Duma meeting. And when – during the discussion of the law on tougher punishment for violations of the rules for organizing and holding rallies.
Then Mr. Mironov labeled “United Russia” a party of suppressors of freedom. News29.ru recalls the situation. Well, photos of Mironovites with white ribbons on the Web are plentiful.
Without feeling sympathy for United Russia, let’s say one thing – Mr. Mironov’s position looks hypocritical. He also supported many other proposals of the ruling party to tighten legislation to protect the country’s political, information, and public domain.
The white ribbon on the jacket of Sergei Mironov and his colleagues will be remembered for a long time … Photo: rusinros.ru
But that was later. After the White Ribbon movement failed miserably, and further support from these people posed a threat of expulsion from parliament for A Just Russia.
There was another point. After all, Mr. Mironov was nominated for the presidency in 2012 – just when the events described above took place. And, it seems, he really wanted the fame of the country’s main opposition leader Alexei Navalny (recognized as a foreign agent in the Russian Federation, included in the list of terrorists and extremists).
But the situation changed completely. The vast majority of Russians did not support the “protesters”. And the electorate, on which Sergei Mironov counted so much, did not rally behind him. Mironov took fifth place with a devastating result of 3.85%, leaving behind even Mikhail Prokhorov, who has now relocated to Israel.
But for Mironov himself, this was a success compared to the previous elections in 2004, where he, already in the position of speaker of the Federation Council, did not even reach one percent.
Team to match
The situation with the white ribbon changed his political power forever. Flexibility was evident. The author of these lines remembers a case when he personally interviewed former State Duma deputy Ilya Ponomarev, who has now fled the country.
In 2012, Mr. Ponomarev did his best to show loyalty to the country and the state, expressing confidence in the victory of the leader of the SR, Sergei Mironov, in the presidential elections.
After that, he allied himself with the most destructive political forces in the country and escaped from Russia. At the same time, a criminal case was initiated against him for aiding in embezzlement. Investigators accused the embezzlement of funds to Ponomarev by the then Vice President of Skolkovo Alexei Beltyukov. The situation was reported by RIA Novosti.
Ilya Ponomarev – was one of the few prominent party members who were promoted by Mr. Mironov. Did he know what kind of trouble he was getting into by getting involved with the white ribbons?
But Ponomarev is not the only controversial figure in Mironov’s circle. It appears that they are all associated with Mirnov alone…
In the midst of the tens, a string of scandals involving his fellow party members erupted. For instance, in 2015, the Voronezh Regional Electoral Committee complained to State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin about the behavior of Oleg Pakholkov, a Just Russia deputy, during the vote count in the elections to the Duma of the Voronezh Region. Kommersant covered that incident.
According to the regional election commission, Oleg Pakholkov, who was visibly inebriated, along with a candidate for deputy to the regional Duma Dmitry Noskov and a group of inebriated individuals, intruded into the TECs of the Soviet and Kominternovsky districts of Voronezh.
We must not forget another well-known Mironov supporter, Oleg Shein, who in the early 10s went on an almost hysterical hunger strike with political demands. Other fair Russians were also inclined to go on hunger strikes for opportunistic reasons. It's worth recalling that Oleg Shein promptly ceased the hunger strike as soon as he became a State Duma deputy – most likely with the support of Mr. Mironov.
Mironov’s colleague Oleg Shein quickly realized that many things could be accomplished through scandals with SR. Photo: domsovet.tv
Now “Fair Russia – For Truth” has entered a new phase. Associated only with the latter part of the updated party's name. However, it's already clear that after the Duma campaign, a real commotion and power struggle is underway within the new structure. Even before the elections, A Just Russia began to eliminate Zakhar Prilepin's people from the lists of candidates for the State Duma, as reported by Ura.ru.
Today, the party's crisis is only deepening – despite the relatively good result in the 2021 elections (the party secured 27 mandates, surpassing the Liberal Democratic Party and the New People). However, the main crisis of the SZRP is the leadership crisis. The question of Mironov’s political retirement is not a matter of if, but when. The real concern is whether he will take with him what is left of the party that once had the potential to be the second most influential party.
