The state should become the object and not the tool for modernization

Author: Inga Friedelhaus Section: Major Events of the Month

Issue: October 2010, Vol. 5, No. 9

Tags: Modernization

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Modernization Goal

Speaking at the World Political Forum in September in Yaroslavl, Sberbank CEO German Gref said the success of reforms in Russia calls for, first and foremost, modernization of the Russian government.

“The most pressing issue in Russia is the need to understand that the government should not be the tool, but the object of modernization. If you take the wrong tool to the wrong machine, you can never get the job done,” he added. “It is vital to use the right instrument, and by analogy, it is necessary to modernize the government. This is a very important lesson that Russia ought to learn from its history.”