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Main page > Products > Politics in Russia: power, lobby, conflicts - The weekly bulletin > Politics in Russia: power, lobby, conflicts. Issue No (67) 755
Politics in Russia: power, lobby, conflicts. Issue No (67) 755
March 30 - April 05, 2009
Main tendencies of political week
Last week was characterized by another phase of the agenda ideologizing amid almost complete staff standstill. The latter phenomenon is likely to be linked to a wave of rumors about reshuffle in the executive branch of power after Vladimir Putin delivers his report to the State Duma on April 6, which made the majority of players take a pause.
After numerous hints and reminders United Russia accelerated attempts to participate in the discussion of the government’s anti-crisis strategy and even submitted its own proposals. Despite criticism, the majority of them are quite reasonable and concrete but their implementation is hindered by the domestic bureaucracy’s low executive discipline and a high corruption level. UR also tried to breathe life into 2020 Strategy though in somewhat modernized manner, which was noticeable at a corresponding forum held last week. Developments in the country and the world have changed the document’s meaning and role. Previously it was considered a concrete program of actions with concrete targets. Now it has turned into a symbol of modernization, the necessity of which has not been removed from the agenda.
Standstill on the administrative and staff field was not absolute and there was some rotation in the presidential and government verticals. It concerns the rejuvenation process in the domestic policy department of the presidential administration that was left by a number of officials. As far as the government vertical is concerned, there was reshuffle in the agriculture ministry headed by Elena Skrynnik. Two deputies to her were appointed last week. One of them, Oleg Aldoshin, is the minister’s right hand; he headed Rosagroleasing’s legal department. The other appointee is Alexey Bazhanov promoted from deputy head of the federal forestry agency; he is believed to be ex-minister Alexey Gordeyev’s protégé. Given Bazhanov’s Voronezh background (he was transferred to Moscow only at the end of 2008) one may suppose that his promotion is an element of administrative exchange between Gordeyev and the region’s elite. It is possible that some time later Andrey Slepnev’s positions in the entity will be endangered and to a less degree of Nikolay Arkhipov; both were earlier considered main candidates to the ministerial post.
Major events March 30, 2009 - April 05, 2009
| Event | Winning sideh | Defeated side | Development Outlooks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forum devoted to 2020 Strategy | UR |
| Strategy will finally stop being perceived as operative document |
| Meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church | Patriarch Kirill | Metropolitan Kliment | There will be no radical reshuffle among ROC leadership in the near future |
| Deputy PM Igor Sechin is appointed chair of the commission for metallurgy and head of the medical industry council | Igor Sechin, Alisher Usmanov, Sergey Chemezov | Oleg Deripaska, Vladimir Potanin | Sechin uses new instruments to strengthen control over the metal sector |
| Transfer of some top brass generals to civil service | Anatoly Serdyukov |
| The process of turning generals into civil servants will continue |
| Sverdlovsk Region governor Eduard Rossel declares about soon disbandment of a GRU brigade in Asbest |
| Anatoly Serdyukov, Valentin Korabelnikov | Servicemen of the unit may join protest actions in the region |
| Reduction of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff |
| Nikolay Makarov, Anatoly Serdyukov | These layoffs will not stir considerable protest |
| New appointments in the presidential administration |
|
| New appointees will try to reverse the tendency of declining popularity of UR on the municipal level and in regions |
| First deputy PM Igor Shuvalov meets with leaders of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs | Igor Shuvalov |
| First deputy PM’s will be finally perceived as technical PM |
| Oleg Aldoshin is appointed deputy minister of agriculture | Elena Skrynnik |
| The majority of Gordeyev’s team will be force out of top posts in the ministry |
| Alexey Bazhanov is appointed deputy minister of agriculture | Alexey Gordeyev |
| Bazhanov will supervise the forestry sector and will not interfere in agricultural issues |
| Supreme Court cancels the Prosecutor General’s order on the procedure of checking activities of prosecutors by investigators | Alexander Bastrykin | Yury Chaika | SC will keep maneuvering between two centers of influence in the entity |
| Meeting of the political council of Pravoe Delo |
|
| Activities of Pravoe Delo will be paralyzed due to disagreements between its leaders |
Volume: 13 pages
Other issues:
Special report:
Nord Stream 2 and Ukraine: Costs Should Decide
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The boom in shale gas production in the US and its wide-ranging influence on markets rocked the gas world. Liquefied gas deliveries were redirected, altering the already fragile balance of demand and supply in traditional markets for pipeline gas in Europe.Liquefied Natural Gas Outlook: Expectations and Reality
World market has shown interest to liquefied gas. Russia has so far been aside of it. However, producers have announced several large LNG projects. The new study will help investigate this delicate subject and understand what is in store for LNG production and export in the nearest years.Analytical series “The Political compass”:
Political power in Russia after presidential election
The new report analyzes the situation which followed «reformatting» of the political system in Russia within the «Successor» operation. Currently the new management structure and inter-elite situation have been formed aggressively in view of the existing model of «Putin-Medvedev» duumvirate.State Corporations in the Russian Economy
The new study analyses state corporations that many consider a new long-term direction of Russian economy development. Currently, these corporations are becoming nearly the main mechanism for Russian elite to convert and cash out political power. Therefore it is important to understand affiliation of different state corporations with dominating political players, their role in the 2008 election campaign and place in the next executive power configuration that we will see completed by spring-summer 2008. It is also interesting to analyze possible ways the state corporations may transform into other forms of property in the nearest and medium-term future.Political Results of 2007: Russia on the Eve of Power Shuffle
The new study analyzes political and socio-economic state of Russia after Duma election on December 2 2007 and possible consequences of power shuffle in March-May 2008.Political Landscape Ahead of the Parliamentary Election 2007
The research studies the strategies of the main players racing for parliament, assesses their potential, and gives a prediction of how events will be developing.«Centers of influence» in the Russian politics
The study attempts to list the main centers of influence and show their hierarchy from the standpoint of availability of resources. Special attention is drawn to formal and informal channels of interaction between elite clans, the “conflict zones,” and the clans’ methods of promoting their interests. The study also attempts to predict developments in the short- and medium-term future.Leading Russian corporations and the executive power: interaction methods
The new study analyzes the methods of interaction between the executive power and the leading Russian businesses both when they carry out «pinpoint» projects and implement strategic partnership.Forecast of political developments after the presidential election in 2008
The new study contains thorough analysis of the possible scenarios of power succession in 2008 and a forecast of how events may develop.
National Energy Security Fund © 2007