Russian society should keep state in check-Medvedev

MOSCOW, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Russia needs a strong state but it should also have a vigorous civil society to hold authorities to account, Dmitry Medvedev, front-runner to be the next president, said on Thursday.

Medvedev is the overwhelming favourite to win a March 2 presidential election after outgoing President Vladimir Putin endorsed him as his replacement. He is under close scrutiny for clues as to what sort of president he will be.

He chose for the second time in a week to talk about the need for an active civil society, an emphasis that some commentators say may suggest a different style to Putin, who critics accuse of squeezing democratic freedoms.

Hinting at a new approach during a visit to Voronezh, a city in south-west Russia, he said it was possible there would be changes in the system of government in Russia but it was too early to give any details.

Medvedev said Russian civil society -- the media and non-governmental organisations -- had matured and was now offering constructive criticism of officials rather than "simply opposing the state in any way possible".

"A strong civil society can only exist in a situation where there is a developed and strong state. One does not contradict the other," Medvedev said on state television from Voronezh.

But he added: "The authorities must not be too full of themselves, the authorities should be in constant critical cooperation with civil society," he said.

Western governments have expressed concern about a law passed under Putin which imposed tight restriction on NGOs -- especially those which receive foreign funding and which some in the Kremlin suspect of fomenting opposition.

Although Putin has used similar language about the role of civil society as Medvedev has, the stress Medvedev has put on the issue has attracted attention from Kremlin-watchers.

Putin named Medvedev last month as his favoured successor to the presidency and promptly accepted an offer from Medvedev to be his future prime minister after Putin steps down in May.

As Russia's most popular politician, Putin's naming of Medvedev ensures the 42-year-old first deputy prime minister is almost certain to win the March election, putting him under immense scrutiny from the media.

One reporter asked Medvedev how his family had reacted to his decision to run for president. "I must give my family the deserved credit for accepting my decision absolutely calmly," Medvedev said.

"There was no rapture because, for understandable reasons, it is a rather difficult decision and for one's family this means a whole host of limitations. But there was no hysteria about life coming to an end," he added. (Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge, Editing by Michael Winfrey)