Irina Khakamada: “I did everything for consolidating the liberal protest ...”

On April 29, the international television channel RTVI published an interview with the public figure, writer, and a candidate of economic sciences Irina Khakamada.

Irina began her political career in 1992, when she created the Party for Economic Freedom, then headed the State Duma Committee for the Development and Support of Small Business. In 1995, the American magazine Time called Khakamada the “Politician of the 21st Century,” and later, according to the results of opinion polls, became the woman of the year.

In 2004, she nominated for the presidency of Russia, but lost, collecting 2.7 million votes. One of the main reasons that forced Khakamada to leave politics was the disappointment and understanding of the impossibility of fundamental changes in the country.

After the completion of her political career, Irina continues to conduct active social activities, writes books, issues copyright programs, conducts master classes and trainings, talks about leadership, responsibility and freedom.

In the "Legend" program, Hakamada spoke about the reasons for leaving politics, the principles of life and her main dream:

- I knew that I would not become president, but I did everything to consolidate the liberal protest. I addressed them, I addressed in my own way. I'm an individualist, I played my game. When the presidential election ended, my daughter Masha, who was struggling with oncology, had the first remission, right day in the day.

Finally, after the presidential company, I left politics, and the doubts that were there, gradually disappeared and that’s all, I put an end to it. I left, this is also a decisive step, a key one. Without this last point, it would be hard to leave, and so I, as an athlete who won his honorable, third or fourth place, left. And for all this was the third or fourth, but for me the first.

- Freedom is a conscious need. And in general, not a single model, neither liberal nor conservative, exists in its purest form. You just need to have principles. There is the principle of the supremacy of personality and man. But there are hierarchical principles, here I am, the state, and I know and will decide for the people, because they have not grown to the point of controlling themselves.

- Leadership is when you take risks, evaluate the risks themselves. And you change your life not because you do not have enough money, not because you are not in that social position, but because you want to do what you want.

- My main dream is to find a real path within yourself and stop relying on what society offers you.