Putin Declares Empathy Essential for Russian Presidency

Sergei Kiriyenko, First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation, spoke about words from Vladimir Putin that he remembered for life. It concerned what quality the president of Russia should possess.

Speaking at the plenary session of the IX All-Russian Forum of Multifunctional Centers (MFC), Kiriyenko recalled a meeting between Putin and schoolchildren and students in the early 2000s. At that time, he served as the presidential envoy to the Volga Federal District and was present at this conversation.

According to him, one of the schoolchildren asked the president what main quality is needed to be a successful president in a country like Russia.

‘I honestly thought the president would probably tell the schoolchildren that they need to study hard and learn a lot because Russia is a vast country, but Vladimir Vladimirovich then gave an answer that shocked me and has stayed with me ever since,’

According to him, Putin«s answer was unexpected.

‘He said that to be president in Russia, the main quality is to be able to feel another person«s pain as your own,’