Our people in politics: how Belarusian Vitaly Shklyarov worked in the headquarters of presidential candidates

Photo: Facebook / Vitali Shkliarov

In the election headquarters of one of the candidates for the US presidency from the Democratic Party - Bernie Sanders - a political strategist Vitaly Shklyarov worked in Belarus. He has collaborated with teams of Angela Merkel and Barack Obama.

Vitaly Shklyarov spoke in an interview about how the Gomechane found himself in the company of Western politicians, what he can teach them and whether there are any worthy competitors to Lukashenko in Belarus. Naviny.by.

- Vitali, is your Belarusian education somehow connected with the current profession?

- I have always loved German, won victories in olympiads, and when the Faculty of Foreign Languages ​​opened at the Gomel State University, I entered it without exams. Knowledge of the language allowed me to work in charitable funds in parallel with my studies, helping Chernobyl victims and orphanages through the Red Cross and German charitable organizations.

In 1996, I decided to continue my studies abroad and entered the university in Lower Saxony. Initially he studied German language, literature and history, and then transferred to political science and sociology. He also defended his thesis, becoming the first Belarusian who received his doctoral degree in Germany. After university I was recruited by a large consulting company. KienbaumAs a representative of which I worked as a consultant in the Eastern European market that opened after the restructuring. Well, a little later, in Berlin and Brussels, he began to work on election campaigns.

- How did you get to the USA?

“Obama is to blame for everything ... (laughs) After Angela Merkel’s election campaign, I left for New York, then moved to Washington, where I lived for five years. There I continued my studies at the university. It was necessary for me - a new country, a new language for me, the absence of any ties ... I combined my studies with the work in the election headquarters of Barack Obama. It helped me integrate into the American political process.

Photo: Facebook / Vitali Shkliarov

- How did you manage to get into the Obama team without having connections?

- For some, this may be surprising, but in the US, communications are not as important as ours. Here, each person has a chance to show their abilities, regardless of acquaintances. This is the realization of the American dream - it comes true for those who are not afraid of difficulties and works well. I think that’s a good example.

I was so captured by the idea of ​​electing the first black US president, especially given the history of attitudes towards African Americans in this country, that I simply could not but become part of the team of Barack Obama. So he just came to one of his field offices and offered his services.

At first he worked as a volunteer, so to speak, on a voluntary basis, but very quickly my efforts were noticed. A month later I had a salary and 20 people in submission. We showed good results in Wisconsin, after which I began to be promoted further and to give more work, responsibility ...

Political consulting in the United States, as in other industries, has its own "Oscars" and "Grammy". The American Association of Political Consultants annually celebrates the most successful political campaigns, initiatives, and even protests. The work I did with my colleagues in Milwaukee received two full awards. And it really was a colossal operation to hire almost 1400 people, train them and organize a mass round of the city’s inhabitants — almost a million and a half apartments a week — to campaign and gather information about the mood of the voters.

We used the latest technical tools at that time, which allowed us to update and process traversal data in real time. The information gathered helped to manage organizational decisions, change accents in television spots and strategies ... Then it was a big breakthrough.

That presidential campaign meant a lot to me, but after it I managed to work on other, equally interesting and important ones - senatorial, gubernatorial, etc.

- And how many of them were successful?

- All but one: in the congressional elections, we were the first politician of Indian origin in US history. It was in the heart of American IT - Silicon Valley. We started from scratch, so losing out to the 2,6% difference to a congressman who had been in power for 17 for years and had great influence in Washington’s democratic circles is hardly a defeat. Moreover, in the elections in 2016, this candidate is running again, and, according to public opinion polls, he has every chance of winning.

- Considering your European origin, was the road to democrats predetermined?

- I choose an employer not by a denominator (Democrats or Republicans), but by a specific candidate and his ideas. Without being a member of any of the parties, I can afford to make independent decisions. I managed to go on both sides of the barricades and not make enemies for myself, as is usually the case with party “defectors”. My first steps in a political career in the United States, by the way, were made together with the Republicans.

- For the nomination of the Democrats in the last election, fought Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, for whom you worked. No feeling you chose a losing candidate?

- Not. There are two types of people in politics: those who come for career and money, and those whose work is based on principles. I have always worked and will work with those who are sympathetic to me as a person and as a politician whose ideas touch the soul. In this regard, with all due respect to Mrs. Clinton, I do not fully share her vision of the future of the United States. At the same time, the possibility of the appearance of the first female president in the United States seems to me to be very important. It would be a good signal and motivation for many women in the country.

- Is it possible to conclude that you, as a native of the USSR, have finally found in the USA a socialist in the person of you in the person of Bernie Sanders?

- Maybe yes. Mr. Sanders appealed to my heart, to my understanding of socialism as a European model of the social structure of the state, aimed at ensuring a decent standard of living for every citizen. The concepts of affordable medical care, free education are close to me.

This is unbelievable, but in the richest country in the world, a woman after 4 weeks of maternity leave should go to work, and the state refuses to pay her a decree, as is practiced in any European country. The world's most expensive health care system does not work for everyone as it should. Why, given the availability of universities, whose budget is comparable to the GDP of other countries, the United States does not provide free education to everyone? Why, without presenting a document, you will not be sold a bottle of beer, but they can sell a gun? All of this - the main provisions of the program of the election campaign of Bernie Sanders. So I worked for him because of common views and goals.

- What did you think of Trump as a possible president?

- Trump's populism appeals to many people, especially embittered and not very educated. His provocative behavior gives him the attention of the press and works well for the public. Many do not quite correctly identify his manner of speaking bluntly with the truth. And Trump says everything he wants, because his huge fortune allows him not to depend on private donations and political correctness. He is a media figure.

The Democrats were more vulnerable, because in the political career of Clinton there are a lot of pain points that the Republicans attacked.

- What was Trump's victory for the USA - a disaster or a cold shower?

- There is no catastrophe anyway, because the American president has much less influence than, for example, the heads of Belarus or Russia. The House of Representatives and the Senate always balance almost any decision of the president. But a disaster in foreign policy is quite possible, after all, Trump's rhetoric is quite harsh and undiplomatic.

- Do you follow political processes in your homeland?

- Yes, constantly.

Photo: twitter / vitali shkliarov
@me_vitali

- Then they probably heard such an opinion that there are no worthy opponents of Lukashenka in Belarus. Because, they say, he is re-elected for the fifth consecutive term. How could you, as a spin doctor, respond to such statements?

- I do not believe that in our country there are no smart and brave people. But among those who lead the current opposition, I really don’t see strong politicians and diplomats of the 21 century. I would really like for Belarus to have its own Sanders, who, in addition to criticizing the authorities, would work on a real way out of the current economic and political blockade. Who wants - is looking for a way, and who does not want - is looking for a reason!

The question, of course, is also in the system that controls the political process from A to Z. As even the most modern car will not go without gasoline, the best contender for the presidency in the world will not take it without democratic elections.

— Suppose the situation has changed and the authorities decided to hold fair elections. As a political consultant, are you ready to come to Belarus and unleash one of the candidates using all your experience and strength?

- Of course. It is possible and realizable. The question is not even victory in the elections, but the gradual change in people's attitudes towards elections and the political process.

Having conducted an interesting election campaign, you can, if you don’t win it, then at least remain noticed, and in the next election you can gain greater support from the population. It is foolish to assume that overnight it’s really possible to change the political course in Belarus, to change the whole country. Parents teach children the values ​​of their lives, just like military commanders prepare troops for yesterday's wars. But to teach, to do something new and to show that there are smart people who are ready to take on the role of leaders and improve the system is already a success.

I do not think that replacing a political leader will immediately change the whole country. But such elections could be the impetus for changes in the country. By starting this process, it would be possible to grow a new generation of politicians who could take Belarus to a new level in the future.

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