Translated material
VIP social security
Valentina Matvienko is being lured into the list of St. Petersburg United Russia with a lifelong social package
St. Petersburg parliamentarians decided to make life easier for retired governors. On the eve of the start of the political struggle for seats in the future city parliament, deputies of the United Russia faction came up with a legislative initiative guaranteeing lifelong benefits to city leaders at the end of their term of office.The deputies want to surround the former mayors with comfort until the end of their days - they will be guaranteed personal security, an official dacha, all types of communications, transport and medical services, the maintenance of a staff of assistants, as well as many other pleasant little things that should brighten up the lives of ex-governors for the rest of their lives. pensions. In particular, deputies want to legitimize guarantees for reimbursement of service costs in VIP lounges at airports and train stations, as well as insurance in an amount equal to the annual governor’s salary. All expenses for ensuring a comfortable life for retired former city leaders will be borne by the local budget. Governors who decide to leave their chair in Smolny of their own free will can also count on state support.
The administration of St. Petersburg has already called the bill a “provocation.” However, some deputies have no doubt that the initiative for the appearance of this document matured precisely in Smolny. And they directly call the proposed bill a “bribe to the governor” so that Valentina Matvienko heads the regional list of the party in power in the upcoming elections to the city legislative assembly in March next year.
According to experts, if United Russia manages to enter the regional elections with a list in which a promoted political figure (such as the governor) is in the lead, this could bring the party an additional 10-12% of the votes.
So far there have been no official comments from the head of the city himself. But Valentina Matvienko’s representative in the city parliament, Mikhail Brodsky, claims that “the bill is premature and is provocative.” The main “provocation,” according to Mr. Brodsky, is that the deputies are going to buy the head of the city before the elections. Which is ugly to say the least.
“The ex-governor is already entitled to an additional pension, but why all the other listed guarantees? - asks the opposition deputy of the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly Mikhail Amosov rhetorically. “I think the head of the city is not a poor person, and she has the opportunity to buy or build her own dacha!”
The author of the bill, United Russia deputy Igor Mikhailov, is preparing for defense - he will have to defend the guarantees of the head of the city at one of the next meetings of the city parliament; the bill on social guarantees for St. Petersburg governors will be adopted, according to his calculations, before the New Year.
He himself commented on the need to introduce a bill: “The country is undergoing a restructuring of the state system, and those responsible for the transition, including governors, must be protected. The model of the St. Petersburg law is a copy of the federal law on state guarantees to the president.”
Since benefits are reserved only for those heads of the city who will cease their powers after the law comes into force, Valentina Matvienko may become the first on the list of those who will benefit from the governor’s package of social guarantees. If the president does not confirm her in office for a new term (which observers very much doubt), Valentina Matvienko may begin using them as early as next year - her first term as mayor of the city expires in 2007. But the former governor of St. Petersburg, Vladimir Yakovlev, who now heads the federal Ministry of Regional Development, will definitely not be affected by the innovation.
The desire to make post-governor life easier among St. Petersburg parliamentarians did not arise out of nowhere. According to Igor Mikhailov, similar laws apply in almost half of Russia’s regions. In particular, generous social guarantees are expected after Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov and the head of the Leningrad region Valery Serdyukov leave their gubernatorial jobs. Not to mention the president of the country and members of his family.
How Valentina Matvienko herself will react to the broad parliamentary gesture will become known after considering the document in the third reading, when she will have to personally sign the law or reject it.