How do Western experts differ from homegrown ones? The ones who fell silent. They, unlike ours, understand Putin’s maneuvers

Alexander Khaldey

In fact, an expert is not a narrow specialist like a gumboil, as Kozma Prutkov said, but a person who understands what is happening much more than everyone else. But regarding the appointment of a new leadership of the Cabinet of Ministers of Russia, experts agreed on one common phrase: “I don’t understand” - and further variations on this theme:

“I don’t understand why Putin appointed Medvedev”

"The sum does not change by changing the places of the terms"

"People are tired of the old lineup and need to let off steam"

"For new game We need new key team players"

"They don't change horses midstream"

“There are no new personnel, Putin has a personnel shortage”

“The same faces again for 6 years, there’s nothing to wait for, God save Russia!”

"A popular president has unpopular ministers. This is a mistake"

And to that similar statements, the depth of which raises questions - is this what the experts are really saying? Or is it a gathering of grandfathers in the yard, gathered to knock on dominoes? A gathering of pique vests discussing whether Hoover is a head or not and whether he would put his finger in Hindenburg's mouth or not? Why invite an expert for an interview if he begins with the words “I don’t understand...” I specifically do not mention the names of the experts, but there are publicists and writers, and doctors of economic sciences, and Putin’s supporters, and opponents, and neutrals, and who is not here.

It’s not even the naivety of the experts that is shocking—it’s the degree of their immaturity that is shocking. Such things can be said by idle Internet residents, wandering from blog to blog and expressing all their accumulated life wisdom in three censored words out of ten written. But experts need to see a little deeper and understand a little more. Otherwise, what kind of experts are these? These are delegates from the party of pensioners, not experts.

Their first reproach to Putin is the appointment of Medvedev. Say, twenty-five again. Weak, divorced from reality, unpopular, the largest anti-rating, boring, and so on. And the deputy prime ministers are also not new, they exchanged chairs - and that’s where all the changes ended. And we are waiting for changes, as Tsoi sang on the eve of perestroika, not by night be remembered. That's all expert wisdom. This is the main pool of popular “talking heads” who constantly comment on what is happening on YouTube.

However, all the answers to all the puzzling questions have long been given. Experts don’t even need to think - just monitor some federal analytical sites. You may not like them, but some materials are simply worth taking note of. You may not like them, you may not agree with them, but you need to know them. Just if you call yourself an expert, then go to the main sites and save Rome, taking into account all the latest news.

And it has already been said more than once - look with an unclouded look at everything that is happening around. And you will see the following: Putin created the most politically weak government for the first time. And for the first time he created the most technically powerful government. There they no longer lobby for the interests of clans, but carry out specific tasks of the president. To do this, it was not necessary to make a long trip “through the Far East” and change the Constitution. 77% of the votes given to Putin in the elections were enough.

Why Medvedev? Yes, precisely because the prime minister is no longer a politician dragging his clans along with him, but a character suspended in the air, separated from all clans. Not a queen, but a hanging pawn, as they say in chess. For what? And then, now all decisions in the government are made by the president. Is this what you've wanted all these years? Here you go, get it. Now the government is not a club of interests, but an apparatus of officials without an opinion, to whom, figuratively speaking, they will say “Lie down and die!” - they will lie down and die. But they won’t put forward conditions, be capricious and bargain, “I want it or I don’t want it.” What would have happened if anyone had become prime minister instead of Medvedev? The lines of lobbyists would immediately begin. The elites would begin to believe that it would be profitable to betray Putin and undermine the new prime minister, or to wait. Is this the state with which, during a war, a country must do urgent things and be governed and united?

The Magomedov trial and the elimination of Shuvalov, Dvorkovich and Prikhodko showed that Medvedev is now not a player, but a piece on the board. It is useless to seek his protection - he no longer resolves such issues. He is now a "technical prime minister". This is right? Right. Is it so difficult to understand? Not difficult. So what's the deal? Where does this stream of whining come from?

Next, the expert, in addition to understanding the meaning of the visible process, must observe and compare. Putin weakened the government as a place of compromise between clans and strengthened it, turning it into a working body - and it’s too early to judge, since the names of ministers have not yet been named. But the role of the new government in the political process is already visible. Isn't this the action that should have been taken on the eve of serious changes? Where is your expertise, gentlemen experts?

What is Putin doing by putting the government “in a box,” as they say in the government apparatus? He issues his first Decree “On National Goals and Strategic Development Objectives” Russian Federation for the period until 2024." According to the Kremlin press service, the document contains a number of instructions that cover social, economic, environmental and other issues of the country's development. There are specific things:

1. Ensure a breakthrough in scientific, social and economic development.

2. Provide conditions for stable growth of real incomes of Russians.

3. Guarantee an increase in the level of pension provision above the level of inflation.

4. Ensure that the life expectancy of Russian citizens increases to 78 years by 2024, and by 2030 to 80 years.

5. Reduce the poverty level in the country by 2 times.

6. Improve living conditions for at least 5 million families annually. Over 6 years for 30 million people.

7. Include Russia among the five largest economies in the world.

How and due to what is another question for another conversation. If these solutions are not found, others will find them. Troubles must be resolved as they arise. Nobody will pray for this composition of the government. The role of Timoshenko, Budyonny and Voroshilov in the Headquarters of Stalin's Supreme High Command also changed as the war progressed. What interests us now is not the mode of action of the ministers, but the character of the government - whether it is new or not. Have there been such specific tasks before? Were not. There were more general ones. Because the government was not brought under complete subordination to the president. Now the task cannot be more specific. Why? Is it because for the first time since the times of Gorbachev and Yeltsin, the government is subordinate to the president without outside influence?

That is, we see that the control object has been brought into a controlled state. Roughly speaking, all the Trotskys were removed from there, and now there are solid Kaganovichs and Voroshilovs there. That is, there is no longer “every gopher is an agronomist,” but an army and a commander, as it should be. Orders are not discussed, but rather carried out. Failure to comply with an order will result in a tribunal.

The composition of the government and the content of Putin’s first Decree after his appointment tell every sober person, whether he is an expert or just out for a walk, that Putin is as serious as never before in all the previous times. He is preparing very seriously. Changes have begun, and they began not with the bringing of bright cult and charismatic figures into the government, but with the maximum muting of any brightness in the composition of the cabinet. The Cabinet of Ministers is not a congress of child prodigies and contenders for leadership in the party. The Cabinet of Ministers is routine and subordination. It’s like in the army - you don’t have to think, you have to execute. The president thinks. He also sets tasks. And those who play smart and don’t follow through will give “advice from outsiders,” as Lenin wrote.

Putin comes out of defense and goes on the offensive. He restructured the government for these tasks. Its composition is not a sacred cow. It is built in such a way that the exit is always open and people will change. But when the right time comes for this. Each stage of time has its own tasks and its own composition of the cabinet of ministers.

How do Western experts differ from homegrown ones? The ones who fell silent. They, unlike ours, understand Putin’s maneuvers. They feel the intentions for which all this is being done. They do not experience illusions or joy. Seizing control of an army is always a serious gain before a battle. Trump can only dream of such control over his government. Putin does it. We will see the results soon.

He who has eyes, let him see. And everything beyond this is from the evil one.

Which ministers will retain their posts and which will leave them after the inauguration on May 7 - opinions of BUSINESS Online experts

The second most important issue after the elections will be the formation of a new government, which will have to fulfill Vladimir Putin’s promises given at last message. BUSINESS Online experts believe that the changes will hardly affect the financial and economic block, but will hit the industrial block. The main intrigue will unfold in the sector of the military-industrial complex: who will be responsible for the large weapons program - Dmitry Rogozin or Denis Manturov?

The next global issue after the end of the election campaign was the change of government. Vladimir Putin will announce new line-up government after inauguration
Photo: kremlin.ru

"E IF PUTIN TAKES SUCH A RADICAL STEP AS REPLACING THE HEAD OF GOVERNMENT, THIS COULD COMPLETELY BE A COMPLETELY NEW FIGURE.”

The next global issue that appeared on the agenda after the end of the election campaign was the change of government. Vladimir Putin on election day, which will announce the new government after the inauguration, which is scheduled for May 7. “In fact, all changes in the government must be carried out by the president, who has assumed his powers for a new term, so now I will think about what needs to be done and how,” he said. — As for the Prime Minister and the government as a whole, I, of course, think about it. I start thinking in detail today, because it was necessary to wait for the election results, but all changes will be announced after the inauguration"

Let us remind you that during the annual message Federal Assembly On March 1, 2018, the president set the goal of bringing the Russian economy to higher growth rates than the world economy, which added 3.7% in 2017, according to IMF estimates. For comparison: according to preliminary estimates from Rosstat, Russian GDP growth in 2017 was 1.5%.

In the list of instructions for the implementation of the message of the head of state, a key point was identified - the determination of the country’s national development goals for the medium term. The decrees in which this should be spelled out will become a continuation of the “May decrees” of 2012 and will serve as a guideline economic development Russia for the coming years. Delivering his message, Putin voiced another key task of the state: to increase GDP per capita by 1.5 times by the mid-2020s, as well as to raise spending on transport and healthcare. The President also stated that he expects a specific action plan from the new government and the Bank of Russia, which will ensure investment growth to the level of 25–27% of GDP, and also called for a radical improvement in the business climate and ensuring highest level entrepreneurial freedoms and competition.

Ten other directions outlined by the President of the Russian Federation in annual message, will be implemented through the mechanism of national projects or programs. IN social directions included healthcare, education, housing and urban environment, ecology, demography. The economic block includes such goals as increasing labor productivity, developing the digital economy, building high-quality and safe roads, developing small and medium-sized businesses and supporting exports.

In implementing all these advances, Putin will rely on the “new government” - this phrase was repeatedly heard in his speeches. However, even the name of the prime minister is not yet obvious. “If Vladimir Putin takes such a radical step as replacing the head of government, then it may well be a completely new figure, I do not rule out that there will be a completely unobvious name,” the president of the Minchenko Consulting holding said in an interview with Kommersant. Evgeniy Minchenko. — If we talk about the specific personnel composition of the government, then there are people whose positions will either remain or will be strengthened, such as Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov, Minister of Energy Alexander Novak, Minister of Finance Anton Siluanov, and Maxim Oreshkin, I think how The relatively new Minister of Economic Development has a good chance of remaining in the government. For all the rest, I think there may be movements, someone from the governor’s corps may be delegated.”

When implementing the program, the president will rely on the “new government.” However, even the name of the Prime Minister is not yet obvious
Photo: government.ru

« IN ECONOMIC POLICY AS THE SWORD OF DAMOCLES HANGING DMITRY MEDVEDEV’S SLOGAN “STOP MAKING BUSINESS A NIGHTMARE”

At the request of BUSINESS Online, experts made assumptions about whether there will be global changes in the new government of the Russian Federation and what program ideas will form the basis of Putin’s next “six-year plan”.

Alexey Mukhin — General Director of the Center for Political Information:

— Economic policy, of course, will be adjusted towards improving the socio-economic situation of ordinary Russians. Vladimir Putin promised this, and there is no reason to assume that he will not fulfill his promise, after such and such popular support.

As for the reboot of the government and the executive vertical, it is inevitable. For technical reasons, after May 7, the government will resign and a new composition will be proposed. Regarding the candidates, as I understand it, Vladimir Putin simultaneously created intrigue and removed it, mentioning that, for obvious reasons, he had not thought about it yet, because the election campaign was underway, and now he would take care of this problem in a direct and immediate way. I won’t even guess based on the footage, although there are some guesses. I think Vladimir Vladimirovich will select candidates for the prime minister, relevant deputy prime ministers and ministers, based on the tasks that he set during the election campaign, and announcing the message to the Federal Assembly. I won’t guess by personalities. Part of the government, of course, will remain in place. I think that these are the security forces (not all, but most of them), part of the economic bloc will also remain, part of the social bloc will also remain, but adjustments will definitely occur.

Alexey Makarkin— Vice President of the Center for Political Technologies:

“I wouldn’t expect anything particularly revolutionary.” As for the economy, many decisions that had to be made were postponed due to the fact that there were parliamentary and presidential elections, when it was impossible to take risks for political reasons. Now this topic has gone away, but there is enormous support from the president. In fact, this support can be regarded by the authorities as carte blanche. Of course, if you take foreign policy, then people are ready to give everything to the authorities: “Please do it, we trust.” The population does not want war, but does not believe that it will happen.

As for domestic politics, it is more complicated. In economic matters, people do not agree to carte blanche. But the authorities can regard these 76 percent as exactly that. Therefore, there may be a problem with increasing the retirement age, early retirement, there is a problem with the implementation of the “May decrees” back in 2012 in conditions when the regions do not have enough funds, a problem with further optimization (this is a word that camouflages various kinds of reductions ). On the other hand, there is a desire to build a new modern society based on healthcare and education, that is, to update this society so that we have the most wonderful competitive education, so that Quantoriums, Sirius, etc. develop, so that telemedicine develops, so that our average lifespan increases, and this is directly related with pension reform, since the justification for it is precisely the increase in the life span and active activity of a person. That’s why all these desires exist.

But at the same time, I think there is an idea that the government can be rejuvenated, new people can be added. Any revolutions are unlikely to happen. We have entire lists of ministers to be eliminated, which are discussed in Telegram channels, but this is often stuffing, a competitive struggle. We don’t know what will actually happen, but there may be a significant update. It may relate to the social block, in the macroeconomic block it may be less, but this is still only speculation. The question also arises as to who will be responsible for the large weapons program, whether it will be Dmitry Rogozin or Denis Manturov.

Leonid Polyakov —member of the expert council of the ISEPI Foundation:

— Putin’s political course is to provide all the conditions for breakthrough development, primarily in the economic and social spheres. As for foreign policy, there is clearly a firm course towards continuing to strengthen Russian sovereignty and absolute independence from any attempts to force us to do anything to the detriment of national interests. As for personnel changes in the government, this issue is secondary to the structural reform of the entire administrative apparatus and the vertical of power in Russia. This reform is already underway. Along with the replacement of governors, not only rejuvenation is declared, but also the call for pragmatic professional managers, for whom the priorities of implementing Putin’s course, and not political ambitions, are important. I think this trend may also be reflected in the federal government, where serious restructuring may occur. For now, the government continues to be formed on a sectoral basis. Ministers are responsible for a specific industry. But I do not exclude that some combined blocks may be formed, which will focus on solving complex problems in the economy as a whole, in the social sphere as a whole, in the development of industry and infrastructure, and so on. If such a reform is carried out, I do not exclude that the composition of the government may change significantly and it may be replenished by people who try themselves in various competitions such as “Leaders of Russia”, that is, people who have confirmed their qualifications and willingness to work in difficult areas through serious tests .

I do not rule out that some deputies may also apply for some positions in the government. For example, in the field of sports. We have famous sportsmen and women who are quite ready to solve difficult problems in the field of sports. And there are plenty of problems here. IN economic policy The slogan “Stop making business a nightmare,” thrown by Dmitry Medvedev, still hangs like a sword of Damocles. There are a lot of words, each message repeats the same theme, but things are still there. The number of inspections, despite the dire warnings from the president, is still not decreasing. Businesses everywhere are complaining. The efforts of Ombudsman Boris Titov are not useless, but in general the atmosphere towards business is very far from ideal. At the same time, unpleasant pressure from Western partners continues, sanctions hinder development. This is also a serious obstacle that we must learn to overcome.

We will learn about what specific measures will be taken to solve these problems when a new government is formed. In general, in Putin’s new presidential term, the social sphere, education, healthcare, science and culture will be at the forefront. Plus infrastructure. The goals are clear. The question is how to achieve these goals. Very difficult tasks in the face of many unfavorable factors - both internal and external. It is no coincidence that Putin says that we will have to work even harder.

“If Putin takes such a radical step as replacing the head of government, then this may well be a completely new figure.”
Photo: government.ru

“PUTIN STANDS ON THE STRIPT BETWEEN THE COMPRADORS AND THE NATIONAL BOURGEOISIE”

Vladimir Belyaev — Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor, Head of the Department of Political Science of KNRTU-KAI:

— Putin has the opportunity to remove liberals who obey the international monetary fund, the world oligarchy, the comprador bourgeoisie, who are only focused on import/export and their enterprises in Russia. Those who have yachts abroad and country clubs should be removed from government agencies. These people cannot develop the domestic economy because they do not belong to the national bourgeoisie. The whole world does not like such a comprador bourgeoisie: they were removed in South Vietnam, in India. There is one in South Korea, of course, but in general the world does not like such a bourgeoisie that is focused on other countries, and not on its own production. The nation is not proud of her. Therefore, there is a choice to be made. Putin stands on a stretch between the comprador bourgeoisie, which has Medvedev and the entire socio-economic bloc of the government, and the national bourgeoisie, which is reflected in those ministers whom he personally appoints, that is, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the security forces. Stretching is a good thing, but these two boats are moving apart different sides. The West is increasingly opposing us, so it is natural that the West and national domestic production are at odds. You have to choose whether to stand on one boat, otherwise Putin is not Van Damme to sit stretched for a long time. First the trousers will tear, and then everything else. He must take advantage of this opportunity.

I think that he will do this in parts, because the instinct of self-preservation of our country, national domestic entrepreneurship will force him to pay attention to internal problems. There are no such successes as in international relations. It is necessary to change domestic policy, primarily the socio-economic direction.

But this does not mean that foreign policy will fade into the background. The situation on the world stage is getting worse. The West has targeted us, although they are more hindered by China. But Russia has traditionally been a beacon for many countries, even if it does not help. Many world countries today are guided by us, remembering who we were Soviet Union. We have always defended justice on the world stage, and during the years of the USSR we helped more than 100 countries, the majority of UN members, to liberate themselves. These countries and their elites treat us favorably. And this affects the fact that the West hates Russia more than China. Bye. Over time, they will spread to China if they manage to destroy Russia. And they will not be able to destroy our country if Putin orients socio-economic policy for the benefit of the people.

Andrey Kolyadin— Head of regional programs of IESI:

— While Putin spoke more than once about the need for economic reforms, a new economic strategy and new economic drivers, I have not heard anything about domestic policy. Neither in the message nor at any of the meetings was anything said about the reform of the political system or the party system. I have the feeling that Vladimir Vladimirovich is satisfied with everything. And I have great doubts that there will be reforms in the political system, although they are no less overdue than economic ones. It is necessary to change parties, party leaders, filters that prevent enterprising, charismatic, bright people from entering the political system, and so on. It is necessary to change the system of appointments to the government, when winning parties must form a cabinet. In this case, the government is consolidated.

It is impossible to predict who will be appointed to the posts, since there is no system for selecting ministers from specific winning groups. It's all in Vladimir Vladimirovich's head. He is undoubtedly an outstanding leader, but when a decision is consolidated, then the minister is responsible not only to the first person, but also to the groups that nominated him. Therefore, no one can guess what changes will occur, just as no one could guess what kind of governors will come to different regions. The intrigue over whether Medvedev will retain his seat will last until May. We also learn about economic changes from the next “May decrees”.

Pavel Salin— Director of the Center for Political Science Research at the Financial University:

— As for the changes in the government, yes, they were planned on a large scale, 50–70 percent at the official level, because the authorities feel that there is a request to update the visual range and it is of a strategic nature. Now, following the election results, the authorities have received a greater level of support than they expected or predicted. But I think that this will not affect her initial plans and the changes in the government will be quite serious. The request for change has not gone away, the results of the past elections demonstrated this, because Grudinin, due to the factors of his novelty, managed to seriously outperform Zhirinovsky, whose results were shrunk. At the veteran's Russian politics Zhirinovsky, who has been on the political horizon for a long time, and Grudinin, who is new to politics, have two times different results. Sobchak, due to the novelty factor, also managed to show a good result, although not the one she expected. And this series will only be updated. It is now difficult to predict which blocs this update will cover, but based on the fundamental prerequisites that exist and the plans that were in place before the elections, most likely it will practically not affect the financial and economic bloc, but will seriously affect the military industrial complex and industrial block. There may be reshuffles at the level of deputy prime ministers, ministers and others. The authorities feel that there is a request to update the visuals.

As for the cultural and social sphere, there are questions, because there are figures here who are compromised by scandals, like Mr. Medinsky, for example. So his chances of remaining in government are not very high. But there are figures there who have a reputation as technocrats and who do not have any scandalous trail. As for the remaining blocks, for example transport, the question is still open. Here, I think, everything will be decided in the last weeks before the announcement of the composition of the government and will depend on how serious the positions of the patrons of this or that official are, because it is clear that each of the federal ministers and deputy prime ministers has his own patron among the notorious “ Kremlin towers." And here everything will be decided by the struggle of these “towers”. But the entire financial and economic bloc will most likely not be seriously affected by these changes. But everything else is in question, everything else is being discussed. And I think that in the next month and a half we will see a fairly serious war of incriminating evidence precisely with the goal of compromising certain figures and pushing them to resign.

What should Vladimir Putin do with the government after winning the elections?

3% Leave in in full force– this government showed itself to be normal during the crisis

54% Replace in full - this government is not capable of a breakthrough

30% We need a new prime minister

6% Update financial and economic block

3% Change those responsible for industry

4% Your version (in the comments)

Voting for the poll is closed

There is an opinion that the resignation of the government after the elections is a purely procedural phenomenon. Often Russians don't even notice him.

According to the law, the newly elected president submits the candidacy of the chairman of the government to the State Duma within 2 weeks after taking office. After approval, the Prime Minister, within a week, submits proposals to the head of state on the structure of federal executive bodies, and also proposes candidates for the positions of Deputy Prime Minister and federal ministers.

Political scientists believe that such a legislative loophole would be useful for Vladimir Putin’s new term if he becomes president again in the elections in March. Therefore, changes in the government, in their opinion, are inevitable. However, their scale is still difficult to assess.

By the way, sociologists also talk about this, who have long recorded negativity in society towards the government, in particular towards the prime minister.

“Society needs changes. A number of studies show that all the negativity that exists among Russian residents regarding the situation within the country and in domestic policy, is often associated specifically with the figure of the prime minister. So from this point of view, the resignation of the government and the prime minister will make some sense,” said the sociologist Alexey Novikov.

The main task of such changes is to combat stagnation, including the rotation of Putin’s “friends” under his patronage - the so-called “Politburo 2.0”, inter-clan struggle in which can lead to a serious crisis in the country.

“The results of this inter-clan struggle cannot be predicted, since they depend not only on the objective balance of power, but also on the personal attitude towards certain characters of Putin himself. On the other hand, he is interested in both maintaining balance and expanding Politburo 2.0. This will dictate possible changes in the government,” the political scientist noted. Sergey Komaritsyn.

Changes can be dictated by the course taken towards rejuvenation. However, experts are sure that no new “bright” politicians should be expected. Most likely, these will be the same technocrats who unquestioningly carry out the orders of the president and easily fit into the vertical of power.

“The general course of personnel policy in the new government will most likely be the same - “young technocrats” will appear. At the same time, everyone does not understand very well who these “technocrats” are? There are some meanings that are very beneficial from the point of view of propaganda - focus on tasks, technological effectiveness, lack of clan connections. But precise definition there was no word from the authorities,” said the political scientist Victor Poturemsky.

For Russians themselves, a change of government can have a positive function and hope that the head of state will take a course not on foreign policy, but on domestic policy, says sociologist Alexei Novikov.

As for Dmitry Medvedev specifically as Prime Minister, experts are confident that no scandals surrounding his personality will be able to influence Putin’s decision. The President will be guided by personal favor even to the detriment of common cause, political scientists are sure.

“Medvedev is a very weak prime minister. But here the question is about obligations, general biography and personal relationships. If Medvedev really wants to remain as prime minister, Putin will leave him, despite the fact that this is harmful to the cause. Putin is not very interested in demonstration - in the sense of early retirement before the elections; it doesn't add anything special to him. But it may cause slight psychological trauma to Medvedev. Putin will not offend Medvedev,” the political scientist said Sergey Komaritsyn.

We cannot exclude the fact that, in essence, the Prime Minister is a convenient “whipping boy” on whom all the people’s negativity is poured. And Dmitry Medvedev, experts are sure, copes with this role very well. In this regard, it would be irrational to reform the government and subordinate it directly to the president, although there has been a lot of talk about this scenario lately.

“If the question is whether he can do it technically, then yes, he probably can. If the question is whether it’s worth doing, then probably not. Because in this case, all responsibility for what is happening in the country will be transferred to him and, accordingly, all the negativity of voters, which now concerns the person of Medvedev, will be transferred to the head of state,” the sociologist emphasized Alexey Novikov.

“Medvedev is extremely convenient as a lightning rod through which protest against the federal government escapes. The model is established. There are no external reasons for changing it yet. I think it will continue after the elections. There are scenarios that could affect his departure based on the results of the March elections, but for now these scenarios are unlikely,” the political scientist noted Victor Poturemsky.

One of these possible scenarios is the merger of the Supreme and Constitutional Courts in the media. If the reform happens, it is likely that the “super court” will be headed by Medvedev. However, experts are confident that little will change for him in this case.

“The problem of status for Medvedev has only psychological significance. His real position under Putin will remain the same as it is now, regardless of his position,” the political scientist noted Sergey Komaritsyn.

Little will change in the post of Prime Minister. According to experts, another prime minister will not be much different from the previous one.

Thus, it is unlikely that a woman will become prime minister, despite the fact that the Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko and the head of the Central Bank Elvira Nabiullina are increasingly appearing in the federal media in connection with this topic.

One should also not expect that a person with strong political overtones will come to the Russian government. According to Krasnoyarsk political scientists, this can happen only in one case.

“For 18 years we had “technical” premieres (during the “tandem” period there was a “technical” president). Why should this change? When Putin starts thinking about a successor, then a person with different characteristics will appear,” the political scientist argues. Sergey Komaritsyn.

If, for various reasons, we are still talking about replacing Medvedev, then his position could well be taken by a politician from Krasnoyarsk.

“Of the current government, the most prepared for such a role is our fellow countryman Alexander Novak. He has all the prerequisites for this - biography, work at the level of a large corporation, region, federal ministries, experience, knowledge, abilities, international fame, the scale of current tasks, proximity and - which is very important - in his current capacity he is Putin’s unconditional nominee.” , the political scientist suggested Sergey Komaritsyn.

Changes may also occur in the ruling United Russia party. It is already known that it will be rebranded. It is possible that management may also change. The need for these changes was loudly announced by Putin’s self-nomination in the elections.

“If we understand this statement in the context of public political communication, then it means, in essence, a simple thing: “United Russia” does not provide the current president with a significant advantage in elections. Actually, everything that follows after this is rebranding. You can try to follow the logic further - this, in turn, may mean that the party, under the existing leadership, is not solving the tasks assigned to it,” said the sociologist Alexey Novikov.

However, according to experts, not only United Russia, but also the entire party system of the country needs such a rebranding.

“What is happening now in the presidential elections shows the deep crisis in which literally everyone finds themselves political parties. We built and built the party system, developed it in order to get a shortage of party candidates, replacements, non-participation in the main elections of the country. Plus Putin's self-nomination. The need for reforms of the party system and rebranding of parties is overripe and inevitable,” the political scientist said Victor Poturemsky.

Obviously, there is no need to wait for a “reset” of power after the elections: rather, there will be re-elections. But it is also obvious, experts say, that first of all the old new president will have to figure out what internal political problems the government will solve and with what help. However, we can already safely say that after the elections the dynamics of political and economic events in the country will increase significantly.

Photo: Aleksander Khitrov, Dmitry Medvedev, Reuters, Dmitry Koshcheev, Kremlin

There will be no new government large quantity new faces. Most likely, the Cabinet of Ministers will again be headed by Dmitry Medvedev.

The government may include heads of state corporations, and presidential assistant Andrei Belousov may become the first deputy prime minister.

It is possible that Alexei Kudrin will return to power.

It is likely that Igor Shuvalov, Arkady Dvorkovich, Dmitry Rogozin, Vladimir Medinsky and some other officials will leave the government.

On Monday, May 7, the official inauguration ceremony of President Vladimir Putin, who has been elected for a fourth term, will take place. After the inauguration the government will leave resign, and, in accordance with the law, a new cabinet must be formed within two weeks.

On Friday, May 4, presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that exact date nominating a new prime minister is “the exclusive prerogative of the President of Russia.” There is no reliable information about what the composition and structure of the new government will be.

Dmitry Peskov answered questions from Gazeta.Ru about candidates for the post of prime minister, about possible “losses” in the government and appointments to key positions: “it’s still okay to ask such questions.”

There is no answer even to the question of what will be published first: the presidential decree on national development goals until 2024 (it is being prepared by the head of the presidential administration, Anton Vaino) or the name of the new prime minister.

On the background complete absence Official information “Kremlin experts”, as well as numerous sources, are giving out more and more new versions of resignations and appointments. Political scientists have reached a consensus on some positions.

Fourth term prime minister

Dmitry Medvedev, it seems, will retain the post of prime minister. In an interview with the Rossiya-1 TV channel on April 28, he made it clear that the government had generally fulfilled the tasks set by the head of state. That is, it worked well, and why leave then?

Secondly, Medvedev clearly stated: “Of course, I am not going to go on vacation yet. I am ready to work and will work where I can bring maximum benefit your country."

The maximum benefit is precisely the post of prime minister, not counting the post of president. And now it’s really too early for him to rest. For example, it’s time to implement pension reform. Medvedev said that the authorities are on the verge of legislative discussions on raising the retirement age.

Finally, Medvedev invited former US President Barack Obama to look at the Russian economy “torn to shreds” as a result of the imposition of sanctions. The invitation to come to Russia suggests that Medvedev is inviting not as a private person, but as a prime minister.

Factions in the State Duma are already preparing for a meeting with Dmitry Medvedev as a candidate for the post of Prime Minister of Russia, RIA Novosti reported on May 4, citing a source in parliament.

Gazeta.Ru previously reported that, according to most sources in the government and the Kremlin, the current prime minister will retain his post.

One of the informed sources close to the Kremlin noted that Medvedev successfully structured work with the government for Putin. In addition, the emergence of a new prime minister would draw attention to him as a likely successor to the president in the 2024 elections, says another source familiar with the situation.

According to him, it is more logical to expect a repetition of the scheme tested at the end of Vladimir Putin’s second presidential term. Then, de facto, two deputy prime ministers competed for the right to become a successor: Sergei Ivanov and Dmitry Medvedev.

If such a scenario is used this time, the deputy prime ministers will come under more scrutiny than the prime minister himself.

Where will the president send

If everything is more or less clear with the prime minister (although in reality the president can easily propose another candidate), then with the deputy prime ministers it is much more interesting. According to sources, several deputies will leave the government at once.

In particular, we're talking about about Igor Shuvalov, who has been in the civil service since 1998, and has been working as first deputy for almost 10 years. Sources and experts are confident that Shuvalov will not be in the new government.

The media named Moscow State University as one of Shuvalov’s possible places of work. However, two facts speak against this version. The term of office of the current rector of Moscow State University, Viktor Sadovnichy, expires only at the end of 2019. In addition, Igor Shuvalov may not have sufficient qualifications to manage the scientific community - the Deputy Prime Minister did not defend his doctoral dissertation and has the scientific title of Candidate of Legal Sciences.

The most “popular” replacement for Shuvalov is considered to be Presidential Assistant for Economic Affairs Andrei Belousov, who formerly headed the Ministry of Economic Development.

Over the past year, Belousov has been busy preparing a six-year plan for Putin’s socio-economic development of the country, and in the spring, together with Anton Vaino, he worked on a decree defining “national development goals of the Russian Federation for the period until 2024.”

Shuvalov himself, in response to a direct question about his future, said that “I want to work where the president says,” adding that “I am happy with any job that the president gives.”

The plan provides for an increase in spending on healthcare, education and infrastructure by 10 trillion rubles, Bloomberg reported. Dmitry Peskov said that this figure does not correspond to reality. The head of the Accounts Chamber, Tatyana Golikova, estimated the cost of the plan at 8 trillion rubles. Belousov admitted that the “budget maneuver” was being worked out.

It is possible to increase spending on “human capital” and infrastructure by reducing spending on defense and national security, experts say. This process has already begun in Russia. The latest report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) recorded a 20% decline in defense spending in 2017.

"IN Russian army Large-scale work on technical and technological renewal has been carried out. This process is basically complete. And therefore, the peak of expenses for technological re-equipment has passed,” Peskov explained the decrease in expenses.

In addition, Belousov aimed to reduce poverty and create sustainable growth in real incomes of the population, which were declining in 2014-2017.

“This is an increase in real pensions, an increase in pensions above inflation, as the president said, and this is a halving of the poverty level by 2024. These are also very challenging goals, and they have to be achieved,” said the assistant to the head of state.

Contenders for management of the military-industrial complex

During the May holidays, information appeared in the media that Igor Sechin, the head of Rosneft, could become deputy prime minister. The company quickly denied this rumor, saying that under the terms of the contract he was required to work for the company for another two years.

Sechin's return to office is also doubtful because "" - for the first time in its history - announced plans to carry out a buy-back of its shares for $2 billion. The program will begin in the second quarter and will last until the end of 2020.

Another “vice” is the head of Rostec, Sergei Chemezov. He will oversee industry and the military-industrial complex instead of Dmitry Rogozin. He, as well as Arkady Dvorkovich, who is responsible for the agricultural industry, will probably have to leave the cabinet.

A clear hint of Dvorkovich’s departure is contained in the arrest of co-owner of the Summa group Ziyavudin Magomedov, a classmate of the Deputy Prime Minister. The Magomedov brothers (Ziyavudin and Magomed) are suspected of theft, embezzlement and organizing a criminal community.

It is being discussed that Rogozin’s place could also be taken by the current Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu, retaining the post of head of the defense department.

The Ministry of Armor, if Shoigu leaves it, could be headed by the governor of the Tula region, Alexei Dyumin, or the commander-in-chief of the Aerospace Forces of the Russian Federation, Sergei Surovikin.

Experts and the media paint good prospects for Denis Manturov - he can retain the post of head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and at the same time become Deputy Prime Minister.
The ex-minister is tipped to return

Alexey Kudrin, who previously served as head of the Ministry of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister, could also become deputy chairman of the government. Kudrin, who headed the Center for Strategic Research, was tasked with preparing a strategy for the country's development until 2024. The document was previously presented to the president, and in April of this year it was posted on the CSR website.

It is also likely that Kudrin may be tasked with creating and heading the Center for Public Administration Efficiency, which may report personally to the president. The ex-minister recently spoke with Dmitry Medvedev about how to modernize the state apparatus.

On Friday, May 4, the Center for Social Development presented the report “The State as a Platform,” which contains proposals for the government’s transition to digital. This will be dealt with by the same Center, which will be headed by the Deputy Prime Minister or Minister.

There is a significant obstacle to Kudrin's return to the government. He has a difficult relationship with Dmitry Medvedev. In 2011, Medvedev, as president of the Russian Federation, fired Kudrin from the government after a series of careless statements by the latter.

An alternative to a position in the Cabinet is a position in the presidential administration. British Financial Times with reference to her sources, reported that “under Kudrin” they would create the position of representative of the head of state on international affairs economic cooperation- to restore relations with the West.

Kudrin himself has not decided whether he is ready to return to the government or not. “I’m not going back anywhere and I haven’t commented on this topic for a long time. In my opinion, all these newspaper canards are ahead of the possible events that could happen,” he said. Representatives of Kudrin do not comment on rumors about his “comeback”.

Tolstoy as a mirror of Russian culture

The hottest debate in the media space arises around the figure of Vladimir Medinsky: will he be reappointed as Minister of Culture or not? There are many claims: from a doctoral dissertation allegedly compiled by Medinsky to corruption scandals and the creation of non-competitive conditions for film distributors.

And if he leaves, who will replace him? It is possible that this is Presidential Advisor on Cultural Affairs Vladimir Tolstoy. Or the creature of film director Nikita Mikhalkov - State Duma deputy Elena Yampolskaya. For the post of head of the Ministry of Culture, they are also wooing a candidate from the opposite ideological camp - the prime minister's press secretary, Natalya Timakova.

Rumor makers are “dismissing” the Minister of Education and Science Olga Vasilyeva. She may return to the presidential administration, becoming an adviser on interfaith relations. The topic of her doctoral dissertation is “The Russian Orthodox Church in the politics of the Soviet state in 1943–1948.”

Some experts “propose” dividing the ministry into two – education, as well as the ministry of science and new technologies. Science will receive a new lobbyist, although it is not a fact that more money will be allocated from the budget for innovation. There is a “ready” candidate for the position of Minister of Science.

The list of possible contenders for the post of head of the Ministry of Education includes State Duma deputies Lyubov Dukhanina and Alena Arshinova and others. Among the “others,” the strong position is of Elena Shmeleva, director of the Sochi center “Sirius”, co-chair of the campaign headquarters of presidential candidate Putin.

The professional community is considering ex-Minister of Education Dmitry Livanov, as well as General Director of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives Svetlana Chupsheva, for the position of chief science officer.

After the tragedy in the Kemerovo shopping center “Winter Cherry,” the head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, Vladimir Puchkov, has the least chance of maintaining himself in the government. Doping scandals make the prospects of remaining in the government of Vitaly Mutko miserable. The crisis in the air transportation market caused by the bankruptcy of VIM-Avia will cost Maxim Sokolov the position of Minister of Transport. His place could be taken by the head of Russian Railways, Oleg Belozerov, or the head of Aeroflot, Vitaly Savelyev.

The social bloc will most likely get a new leader. Olga Golodets’ “Vice Prime Minister’s” chair will be given to one of the “strong female leaders.” Sources talk about the head of the Accounts Chamber Tatyana Golikova, the speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko. Among the candidates there are also non-obvious people. For example, State Duma deputy Olga Batalina.

Only three positions remain relatively strong in the new Cabinet: Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, who is gaining weight, the smiling Minister of Economic Development Maxim Oreshkin, and the aksakal of the foreign policy department, 68-year-old Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The last of them will leave if only he asks for rest. Instead, sources predict Dmitry Peskov.

However, everyone knows that Putin rarely makes personnel appointments under the pressure of public opinion and likes to present surprises. Old and new ministers will have to take on “unpopular” decisions - from raising the retirement age to introducing new taxes. This makes the prospects of the new cabinet to last the entire six years illusory.

The introduction of open government mechanisms in the work of Russian authorities will continue. Now the main burden associated with the implementation of this task will fall on the shoulders of the ministries and departments themselves and their heads, as well as the heads of regional government agencies. The foundation for creating a system of open government at all levels of government was laid during the 6 years of implementation of the Open Government project. Under the leadership of the Russian Federation Minister for Open Government, Mikhail Abyzov, the necessary regulatory and methodological basis was created for introducing the principles of openness and transparency in the work of ministries and departments, effective mechanisms of public control and interaction with the expert community were launched, and the foundations of a new culture of communication with the authorities were laid. There are a number of things on the agenda important tasks- make the interaction between citizens and officials more technologically advanced and faster, and information about the work of departments - relevant and understandable, ensure a new quality of feedback through digital technologies and continue to involve business and citizens in government decision-making.

The Open Government project started 6 years ago in 2012, at a time when the demand for a new format of interaction between government and society was greater than ever. When creating the Open Government system, the task was set to build mechanisms of public administration that were fundamentally new for Russia. They were supposed to replace the traditional, but already exhausted, bureaucratic model of public administration. In an open state, the expert community, civil society, business and government agencies must act together, together develop balanced, compromise and mutually beneficial solutions. This new culture of interaction, in turn, is designed to increase the efficiency of the entire state machine.

At the launch of the Open Government project, a number of specific tasks: ensure feedback between officials and citizens, involve the professional, expert and business community in the preparation of government decisions, make the work of ministries and departments transparent and understandable, create effective institutions of public control. 10 openness mechanisms set out in the Openness Standard of ministries and departments, which was approved by the government at the beginning of 2014, are aimed at solving them. Most of these tasks were completed - openness became important element daily work of officials. Nevertheless, these are only the first steps to change the culture of the civil service, communication between authorities and citizens; this work will continue.

The government of the Russian Federation has become the main platform for interaction with the expert community and expert assessment of draft documents and regulations being prepared. The participation of this structure in the development of key decisions has become an integral part of the work of the Cabinet of Ministers. 365 council members and more than 2,000 external experts actively participate in the work of the council. During 2012–2017, the Expert Council prepared more than 1,200 opinions on key issues of the country’s socio-economic development.

Another important result of the work of the Open Government was the launch of the portal, which gave society, business and the media the opportunity to participate in rule-making activities. About 50 thousand draft acts are posted on the portal for discussion; comments can be sent online, and they are mandatory must be reviewed by the authority. In addition, the expert and business community had the opportunity to assess in advance the effects of the adoption of certain acts on the business environment. For this purpose, the Institute for Regulatory Impact Assessment has been launched. Despite a number of comments regarding the operation of these tools, their very presence is unprecedented in world practice.

The government as a whole has become more open: the quality of interaction with the media has improved; decisions, minutes and transcripts of key meetings are posted on official websites. Ministries and departments publish declarations of goals and objectives and report on their implementation, disclose information on their websites in accordance with the requirements established by law.

The “” project, which the Open Government launched jointly with the Ministry of Finance in 2013, is intended to make the state’s budget policy clearer. The document, in which the budget is presented in a form understandable and accessible to everyone, is now sent to the State Duma along with the main budget bill. Also, all 85 constituent entities of the Russian Federation publish their regional budgets in an understandable form, and citizens have the opportunity to participate in the budget process.

One of the key mechanisms that ensures increased openness and accountability of government bodies is the “reboot” of the institution under the federal executive authorities. Civil society received clear and effective tools for public control. According to the new rules, the formation of councils takes place exclusively on a competitive basis, from candidates from non-profit organizations presented by the Government Expert Council and the Public Chamber, and their powers are significantly expanded. In accordance with the new rules, 36 public councils have been formed. They ceased to be “pocket” or affiliated with the heads of ministries. They provide an alternative point of view on solving industry problems and promote their socially significant agenda.

A significant breakthrough has been made in the work of government agencies since. A huge array of government data is published in machine-readable form so that developers can use it to create applications and services useful to citizens. Open data is the main fuel of modern digital government, without which the formation of a digital economy is impossible. To date, the Unified Open Data Portal has hosted more than 20 thousand data sets, and about 200 successful services created on their basis have been launched. Thanks to the placement of information in the form of open data, such an area as independent assessment of the quality of socially significant services is actively developing.

Over the past 6 years, truly serious work has been done; a foundation has been laid that has made openness an integral element of the daily work of the heads of ministries and departments and the Cabinet of Ministers as a whole. Prepared at the site of the Government Commission for Coordination of Open Government Activities guidelines made it possible to organize a system of open government not only at the federal, but also at the regional and municipal levels. The first beneficiaries of the use of effective public control and public councils, high-quality disclosure of information about the policies pursued by the department, and established feedback with the main reference groups are the heads of ministries and departments themselves, who began to receive from this not just feedback, but also dividends in the form of improved quality their work and the trust of society,” says Russian Minister for Open Government Affairs Mikhail Abyzov.

In the Open Government format - with the involvement of all interested parties - a priority program for reforming control and supervision activities is being implemented, supervised by Mikhail Abyzov. Business takes an active part in the development of all decisions provided for by the program, and the project itself is designed to increase the transparency and understandability of the system of state control and supervision for entrepreneurs. Understanding what requirements are imposed on him and how, the entrepreneur will fulfill them more efficiently, thereby ensuring greater security for citizens and the state as a whole. The measures provided for by the reform, among other things, will reduce the unreasonable administrative burden on business and increase the efficiency of state control as one of the components of the public administration system.

Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a high assessment of the functioning of the Open Government system, summing up the government's work over 6 years during a meeting with members of the Cabinet on the eve of his inauguration.

A distinctive feature of the current government is openness and a spirit of dialogue, constructive interaction with parliament and the regions, reliance on civil society, building feedback mechanisms and the desire to support and expand people’s involvement in the country’s affairs. It is important to preserve and develop such modern approaches and in general, ensure continuity of work, continuity and consistency of the country’s development, including a clear working rhythm in the upcoming period of formation of a new government,” the head of state said.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has determined the format for further implementation of openness instruments, the basis of which should be work in ministries and departments, as well as at the regional level.

Every person wants the state to respect him. He wants to be heard every day - in his region, in every municipality. Otherwise, the state simply cannot be either a reliable partner or an assistant,” the Prime Minister emphasized.

The main directions of government activity, according to Dmitry Medvedev, will be prepared as quickly as possible open mode, the work will be discussed with experts, civil society, and the business community.

The main work related to the implementation of openness tools will now be carried out directly by federal executive authorities and their leaders.

Based on this, the position of a specialized minister responsible for the formation of the Open Government system is not expected in the new structure of the Cabinet of Ministers; the system has already been created and is functioning effectively. The work on introducing the principles of open government will have to be carried out by each minister within the framework of his or her professional activity, ensuring information openness, opportunities for public control and expert discussion of decisions taken by the ministry,” says Natalya Timakova, press secretary of the Prime Minister.

Among the main directions within the framework of the Open Government project for the next 6 years are the development of digital government mechanisms and the creation of a unified digital environment of state Internet resources using the “one window” model, the development of a unified communication policy for government bodies, the development of sectoral plans for increasing openness, and the publication of projects regulatory legal acts at the regional and municipal levels.

The structure and format of the Open Government system are still being discussed, but the Government Expert Council and the department for the formation of the Open Government system will be preserved with a reorientation towards reform of control and supervisory activities.