"Only Beer Can Be Trusted!"... 'Maekju Aehoga Party' Reestablished in Russia

Brief Activity in the 1990s Then Disappeared
Party Leader: "Beer Symbolizes Direct Communication"

The 'Beer Lovers Party,' a political party that briefly operated in Russia during the 1990s before disappearing, is preparing for reestablishment.

On the 7th (local time), the Russian daily Kommersant reported that the reestablishment general meeting of the Beer Lovers Party was held in Moscow, Russia, on the 5th. At the meeting, Konstantin Karachov, a political strategy expert who was appointed as the party's secretary-general, stated, "This party will not confront the current government but will present progressive alternatives." He added, "For those who love the past, there is the Communist Party of Russia; for those who love power, there is United Russia; and for those who love Vladimir Zhirinovsky (former leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia), there is the Liberal Democratic Party. Beer is more trustworthy. Because beer is eternal, it will not disappoint you." Karachov also said, "Forty percent of Russians believe that no political party in Russia represents them," and added, "The Beer Lovers Party will fight for these people."

The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. [Image source=Pixabay]

Sergey Grishin, a businessman elected as the party leader, emphasized that he does not drink alcohol and explained, "The Beer Lovers Party is not a party for alcoholics. Beer symbolizes direct communication and entertainment, not online interaction."

The Beer Lovers Party was an actual political party registered with the Russian Ministry of Justice in 1994 and existed until 1998. However, during its active period, the party did not achieve notable success, receiving only 0.62% of the vote in the 1995 State Duma elections. At that time, Karachov also led the Beer Lovers Party. He explained the reason for founding the party to the Russian media Russia Beyond, saying, "We oppose vodka lovers, that is, the government controlled by President Boris Yeltsin," and added, "Vodka causes aggression and war, but beer symbolizes mutual understanding, peace, and goodwill."

Today's Beer Lovers Party was reestablished with unanimous support from 109 members from 50 regions across Russia. However, it has not yet been officially registered with the Ministry of Justice. Karachov said, "We plan to proceed with the registration process," and self-assessed, "Regardless of registration, we have shown that there is living politics and demand for it in Russia." Sergey Polakov, an artist involved with the party, said, "Once registration with the Ministry of Justice is completed, more people will believe in our sincerity and join us," and added, "We will also participate in local elections and State Duma elections in the future." Political scientist Mikhail Vinograd, who attended the Beer Lovers Party reestablishment meeting, said, "I wanted to see whether they are serious people, people trying to make money, or eccentrics," and expressed optimism about the party's future by saying, "They are eccentrics, and now is the era of eccentrics."

Meanwhile, a similar Beer Lovers Party with comparable ideology existed in Poland in 1990. This party, which advocated 'anti-communism,' once achieved political success by winning 367,106 votes and electing 16 members of parliament. However, it later experienced conflict between the 'Big Beer' faction, which advocated 'sobering up and becoming a proper political party,' and the 'Small Beer' faction, which insisted on 'not losing the original intention and viewing the world through beer.' The party disappeared after seven years.