Thirteenth Department

Dmitry Medvedev acquired his own apparatus in the government

Long and, perhaps, truthful gossip about how difficult it was for the former chief of the Kremlin administration, Dmitry Medvedev, to settle down in his new position in the government, has now found some kind of “outcome.” Now First Deputy Prime Minister Medvedev will acquire an entire department within the White House apparatus.

According to rumors, Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov has still not allowed the chief curator of national projects, Dmitry Medvedev, to work fruitfully in the field of their implementation: he either reduced his secretariat, then overwhelmed him with papers, or transferred operational work to him. In such a situation, the first “vice” inside the White House had neither the strength nor the means to carry out the duties assigned to him. And even more so, work for results. When many observers had already begun to predict - some - the failure of Mr. Medvedev, others - the resignation of Mr. Fradkov, a possibly temporary but compromise solution was found.

Yesterday morning, rumors were circulating around the building on Krasnopresnenskaya embankment that the prime minister was about to satisfy either the demand or the request of his first deputy to increase the staff of officials working on national projects. The new, thirteenth government department, as expected, will be called the “department for national projects.” In the evening, Mr. Medvedev himself officially announced that the order on the creation of the department had been signed.

The main task of the new structure, according to him, should be to coordinate the actions of ministries and departments involved in national projects, control over legislative work and the timing of implementation of decisions. “For the first time, we are trying to try on the design principle to solve the most pressing problems aimed at improving the quality of life of people. This requires us to mobilize and pay attention to those areas that the president has identified as priorities,” Dmitry Medvedev explained to everyone the essence of what was happening in the White House.

So far, it seems, only Mr. Medvedev knows for certain who will personally head Department No. 13. According to some reports, the experienced and intelligent apparatchik Ilya Petrov, the current deputy head of Dmitry Medvedev’s secretariat, may be vying for this role. There is a version that the figure may turn out to be political. Let's say from the Kremlin. The main backbone of the 13th department seems to be completely new, not White Domov’s. Which, of course, will give rise to further problems in the interaction between the First Deputy Prime Minister and the government apparatus, which is so far extremely loyal to the Prime Minister. The number of employees of the new department will exceed twenty people, but it is believed that it will not exceed sixty. Currently, only two government departments hover around 70 employees.

Vera KUZNETSOVA