Change of partners

Pair games are very different. And certainly entertaining. What books, theater and, of course, cinema do not get tired of telling. Not to mention everyone’s personal experience. But, in my opinion, Putin and Medvedev managed to update the pair genre.

A visit to Sofia will be remembered not only by a breakthrough to the Southern Stream, the signing of the relevant documents or demonstrations of protest, which the Bulgarians unexpectedly met the Russian president. There was something else. After the main thing was done, another curious round of negotiations was held: Dmitry Medvedev talked with the Bulgarian president, and Vladimir Putin with the Bulgarian Prime Minister.

In Sofia, an international rehearsal of Medvedev’s presidency was held, his debut in negotiations with the president of a neighboring state was not as one of the leaders of the Russian government, but as a successor, whose election in the presidency of 2008 was actually predetermined

Of course, both pairs were to discuss on the merits: all Moscow forces were mobilized and abandoned at gas negotiations - not only Medvedev, but also Alexei Miller. The Bulgarian President thanked Medvedev primarily as the chairman of the Board of Directors of Gazprom for a constructive contribution to resolving issues related to the South Stream. And in Putin’s conversation with the Bulgarian Prime Minister in the topics there was definitely no lack of lack.

But it is also clear that the change in partners has another subtext. This is the international rehearsal of Medvedev’s presidency, his debut was held in negotiations with the president of the neighboring state, not in the cashut of one of the leaders of the Russian government, but as a successor who received official support to both Putin and United Russia, that is, by the Russian tradition, the issue of his election by the president-2008 has already been resolved.

You can, of course, recall: "The chicken is not a bird, Bulgaria is not a abroad." But you have to start with something.

This rehearsal has another feature. It was precisely a pair match. In other words, Medvedev in an international, almost presidential debut felt Putin's elbow. Symbolic.

This is already related not so much to international ones as to domestic affairs. The beginning of the presidency of Medvedev, no matter how it ends, will be accurately accompanied by at least actual if Putin holds back the word and does not take steps on the legislative transfer of the main levers of power from the president to the prime minister, the evolution of the super-presidential Russian republic to the premier-presidential. So in power there will definitely be the same pair of Medvedev - Putin. Or Putin - Medvedev.

Another question: if the indicated right and the appointment of the prime ministers remain in the hands of the president, then pair swimming is naturally doomed. At some point (the four-year presidential term he will not sit in the premieres) Putin himself, without waiting for the decree, will resign, or considering the internship of the new president under his supervision successfully completed, or deciding to force the return to the presidential chair.

01/20/2008 The material was published in the newspaper No. 9 dated 01.21.2008.