On Russia Profile, Stephen Blank throws in his comment on Dmitry Medvedev’s proposal for a new political party, among other opinions:

In Russia’s system it is apparent that Medvedev needs his own power base and this appears to be what he is trying to create. We should not overestimate the chances for democracy, although this could injure elite cohesion and lead to further reforms. For now, however, this initiative, if it takes place, is another Kremlin party, not an independent expression of autonomous social forces. That clearly is too much to stomach.