MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin reappointment Mikhail Mishustin His appointment as the country’s prime minister on Friday was a widely anticipated move to keep the technocrat, who has maintained a low political profile, in the role.
Mr. Mishustin and other technocrats in his cabinet are credited with maintaining a relatively stable economic performance despite the blow from Western sanctions over Russia’s role in Ukraine.Most of the other ministers are expected to keep their jobs, but what will be the fate of the defense minister? Sergey Shoigu It looked uncertain.
Mishustin, 58, who has held the position for the past four years, submitted his resignation from the cabinet on Tuesday, as Putin began his fifth term as president with a glittering Kremlin inauguration ceremony, in accordance with Russian law.
Mishustin, a former head of Russia’s tax service, avoided political statements and avoided media interviews during his previous term.
In a meeting with President Vladimir Putin on Friday, the president assured that there would be “no interruptions in government activities” and promised to “ensure the continuity of all national goals.”
“We will do our best to develop the economy in order to live up to the people’s trust,” Mishustin said.
Hours after President Putin submitted Mishustin’s candidacy to the State Duma, the State Duma, lawmakers scrutinized his candidacy in a hastily convened meeting.
Under the constitutional reforms approved in 2020, the House of Commons approves the candidacy of the prime minister, who then submits his cabinet for approval. The changes were ostensibly aimed at giving parliament broader powers, but the process is widely seen as a formality given the Kremlin’s overwhelming control over parliament. .
Most ministers are expected to keep their jobs, but it was unclear whether they would be included in the Cabinet following the arrest of Defense Minister Timur Ivanov last month.
Ivanov, who served as deputy defense minister in charge of large-scale military construction projects, was arrested on suspicion of bribery and ordered to be detained pending an official investigation.
Ivanov’s arrest was widely interpreted as an attack on Shoigu and a possible precursor to his removal, despite his close personal relationship with Putin.
Shoigu was widely criticized for forcing Russian forces to retreat during the early stages of the fighting in Ukraine. He faced a scathing attack from mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, who marched into Moscow nearly a year ago to demand the ouster of Shoigu and his chief of staff, General Valery Gerasimov.
Two months after the uprising, Shoigu appeared to strengthen his position after Prigozhin was killed in a suspicious plane crash that was seen as Kremlin retaliation. But Mr. Ivanov’s arrest, interpreted by many as part of political infighting in the Kremlin, has once again exposed Mr. Shoigu’s vulnerability.
