In 1998, he created the liberal movement "Young Russia", which later became one of the founders of the coalition "Right Cause" (1998-2000) and the party "Union of Right Forces". In 1999-2003 - Deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation - Deputy Chairman of the State Duma, then - head of the SPS faction. After 2003, he worked in business, was a freelance economic adviser to the President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko.
After the split in the "Union of Right Forces" in 2008, when former party members decided to unite in the "Right Cause" loyal to the political authorities, he was one of the initiators of the creation of the opposition democratic movement "Solidarity"; since 2008 - a member of the Bureau of the Federal Political Council of the movement. In 2009, with the support of Solidarity, he was nominated for the post of mayor of Sochi and took second place in the elections after the candidate from United Russia, gaining 13.6% of the votes. In 2010, the Solidarity movement joined the coalition "For Russia without Arbitrariness and Corruption
