Jensen then turned to a discussion of Primakov and the role of the oligarchs. According to the speaker, Primakov's government, with its representatives from industrial, regional, financial, and social groups, constitutes an elite consensus that seeks to keep Russia away from the political, social, and economic abyss and somehow hold out hope for a future government and presidential administration by buying domestic stability and managing the decline. Primakov is thus far managing to balance the main interest groups in the society, much as Yeltsin did. The problem, Jensen noted, is that Primakov lacks the legitimacy that Yeltsin had as an elected president. The fundamental truth in current Russian politics goes beyond the oligarchs, Jensen noted.
Elites govern the country.
Power is highly personalized and often money is the currency of political power. The distinction between public and private power is blurred. This, combined with weak institutions, creates a system ripe for the influence of strong interest groups. The oligarchs are rearranging themselves because, Jensen noted, the system is fundamentally elitist and arguably anti-democratic. There are no intermediating government institutions to balance the demands for a civil society as the West understands it.