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Politics in Russia: power, lobby, conflicts. Issue No (58) 746

Politics in Russia: power, lobby, conflicts. Issue No (58) 746

January 26- February 01, 2009

Main tendencies of political week

Despite further deterioration of crisis tendencies the main last week event was the election of a new patriarch. In line with the most probable expectations, Kirill received 72% of the vote cast at the Local Council and became a new patriarch having left behind his main opponent Metropolitan Kliment. It should be noted that his rivals held themselves heads up until the last moment trying to use every chance. However, Kirill’s victory is just his first step as patriarch since he is facing tasks not less serious than late Alexy II in 1990. Firstly, this is defending unity and modernization of the church so that it could unobtrusively but steadily play a more important role in life of the country. Secondly, this is establishing channels of cultural cooperation with other Christian churches.

Administrative struggle continued in more traditional ways last week. In particular, supreme arbitration court chairperson Anton Ivanov received considerable preferences from a technical (ex facte) decision of Dmitry Medvedev. This concerns replacement of Veniamin Yakovlev with Sergey Dubik as the president’s representative at the Higher Qualification Panel of Judges. However, this decision may result in retirement of head of the federal arbitration district court of the Moscow District, Lyudmila Maikova, who works in tandem with Ivanov’s administrative opponent, Moscow arbitration court head Nikolay Sviridenko (Veniamin Yakovlev was her mentor and patron). If she retires, Anton Ivanov will have a chance to implement his long planned project of creating a single vertical of arbitration courts under his patronage, after which he will be able to launch horizontal expansion.

Staff conflicts also continued in the government. In particular, relations between the federal anti-monopoly service and the federal service for customer protection sharpened. This time the pharmaceutical, not alcohol, market was the apple of discord, although the sides used the same methods: public accusations. However, the customer protection service took into account previous lessons and this time was the first to start offensive – it published quite a sharp press release. Struggle between the natural resources ministry and the federal service for ecological, technological and atomic inspection formally subordinate to the ministry also intensified; the ministry is suppressing last centers of staff separatism that have existed there since the service was directly subordinate to the government.

Major events January 26, 2009 - February 01, 2009

Event Winning side Defeated side Development Outlooks

Metropolitan Kirill is elected head of the Russian Orthodox Church

Kirill

Kliment

Kirill will quickly manage to suppress centers of discontent with his election in the ROC

First deputy PM Igor Shuvalov attends a government hour in the State Duma

Igor Sechin

Igor Shuvalov

In case of further deepening of the social and economic crisis, government liberals will become responsible for that

Dmitry Medvedev replaces Veniamin Yakovlev with Sergey Dubik as the president’s representative at Higher Qualification Panel of Judges

Anton Ivanov

Lyudmila Maikova, Oleg Sviridenko

If the panel approves Maikova’s dismissal, Ivanov will restart offensive on Sviridenko’s position in Moscow Arbitration Court

Dmitry Medvedev attends a meeting of the extended board of FSB

Alexander Bortnikov

 

FSB is likely not to actively run after bodies spending anti-crisis funds not as intended

Dmitry Medvedev meets with Novaya Gazeta editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov and its co-owner Mikhail Gorbachev

Dmitry Medvedev

 

President will continue making symbolic steps aimed at maintaining the image of liberal

Dmitry Medvedev meets with representatives of parliamentary parties

 

 

Such meetings will be regularly held in the future

Amendments to State Duma regulations envisaging automatic sending of bills to Public Chamber for examination

Public Chamber

 

This measure will somewhat increase the Chamber’s role in legislative process

Federal bailiff service head Artur Parfenchikov holds press conference

 

 

The service will not give up plans of turning into full-fledged power body

Beginning of reorganization of Federal Service for Ecological, Technological and Atomic Inspection

Yury Trutnev

 

Most notable team members of the service’s ex-head Konstantin Pulikovsky will be substantially demoted or dismissed

Volume: 14 pages

 


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Other issues:
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Analytical series “The Political compass”:

Political power in Russia after presidential election
State Corporations in the Russian Economy
Political Results of 2007: Russia on the Eve of Power Shuffle
Political Landscape Ahead of the Parliamentary Election 2007
«Centers of influence» in the Russian politics
Leading Russian corporations and the executive power: interaction methods
Forecast of political developments after the presidential election in 2008

All reports for: 2009 , 2008 , 2007

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