Sergey Mikhailovich Mironov (; born 14 February 1953) is a Russian politician. He was chairman of the Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament, from 2001 to 2011. He leads the faction A Just Russia in the Parliament of Russia.
Life and career
In 1967 he joined the Komsomol.
In the 1970s, Mironov served in the airborne troops in the Soviet Army. In 1973 he was elected as deputy secretary committee of the Komsomol on ideological educational work at the Leningrad Mining Institute. After graduating from the Institute he worked as an engineer-geophysicist. After a brief time of working as an entrepreneur, he entered politics and, in 1994, was elected deputy of the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly. In June 2000, he was elected vice-Chairman of the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly and, in 2001, entered the Federation Council of Russia as a representative of St. Petersburg. In December 2001, Mironov was elected to be a Speaker of the Federation Council. Since February 2003, Mironov has been the Chairman of the Council of Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of States – members of the Commonwealth of Independent States and since April 2003 – Chairman of the Russian Party of Life. Sergey Mironov is from Saint Petersburg.
Mironov was a candidate in the 2004 presidential election. He was not considered to be a serious candidate and was quoted as saying: "We all want Vladimir Putin to be the next president." He polled less than one per cent of the vote.
In October 2006, he became the leader of the new left-wing opposition party A Just Russia (Справедливая Россия), which was formed by uniting Rodina, Mironov's Russian Party of Life, and the Russian Pensioners' Party. This effectively makes him the leader of the opposition as the three parties together would be stronger than the Communist Party of the Russian Federation.
Mironov has several times proposed an amendment to the Russian constitution that would allow the President to be elected for 3 consecutive 5 or 7 year terms. In 2007, Boris Gryzlov, leader of the rival United Russia party, said that changing the constitution would be unacceptable.
In the March 2012 presidential election, he received 3.86% of the votes.
During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, he referred to the Ukrainian government as a "Nazi regime" that "had to be destroyed".
In January 2023 he posted a photo of himself posing with a sledgehammer branded with Wagner Group logo atop an engraving of a pile of skulls. This sledgehammer was presented to him by the Wagner Group.
Russians critical of the 2022 Russian mobilization have used social media and other electronic means (e.g. Twitter) to enquire en masse Russia's top officials, who support war with Ukraine and mobilization, whether they themselves or their sons would go to the front. Most of them refused to answer or gave excuses, such as Mironov.
In late 2022, Russian opposition politician Nikita Yuferev accused Mironov of violating Russia's 2022 war censorship laws.
Sanctions
In March 2014, Mironov was included in list of Russian government sanctioned individuals because of their direct or alleged indirect involvement in the 2014 Crimean crisis. On 25 July 2014, amidst an armed insurgency in Eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainian Interior Ministry launched criminal proceedings against Mironov for alleged financial support to the armed insurgents.
Mironov was sanctioned by the United Kingdom government in 2014 in relation to Russo-Ukrainian War. Sanctioned by Canada under the Special Economic Measures Act (S.C. 1992, c. 17) in relation to the Russian invasion of Ukraine for Grave Breach of International Peace and Security.
Political positions
Mironov opposes the legalization of short-barreled firearms in Russia, but, at the moment, admits the presence of such weapons in those who have served in the country's armed forces to have such weapons, thus softening his categorical position on this issue. Mironov himself has six premium short-barreled pistols. He also opposes euthanasia.
He is a supporter of the introduction of the death penalty for pedophilia.
The Project "Do or Go!" On 11 February 2016, Mironov announced the start of an all-Russian campaign to collect 10 million signatures under demands against the prime minister and ministers. Mironov's project provides for the resignation of the government if the following demands of the Russians are not met. Their list is replenished during the action in accordance with the proposals of citizens.