Our failure comrade

Aleksey Kudrin, who was dismissed from the post of minister-financials, remains the “member of the President and Government”. According to Gazeta.ru, this said Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on the forum "Russia is calling!" "Despite the failure of an emotional nature, Kudrin remains a member of our team, he is a useful and necessary person. I hope he will work with us," Putin said, adding that this is the opinion of his and his President Dmitry Medvedev.

"As for Alexei Leonidovich, he, of course, is one of the best specialists not only in Russia, but also in the world," the prime minister said, noting that Kudrin is his "good comrade", with whom the prime minister maintains "very close, close relations for many years."

On September 30, in an interview with three federal television channels, Dmitry Medvedev said that Kudrin's resignation is "a case of state discipline and nothing more." "In our country there is no coalition government. We do not have a parliamentary republic, but a presidential one. We have a presidential government, which is holding a presidential course. Who does not agree," Medvedev said.

He also stated that, according to his feelings, Kudrin "was somewhat just disgusted" in his position, and "he really, perhaps, became bored himself." “He came to me in February or in March and said that he realized that he had no sense in working in the future by the government, he has been working as a Minister of Finance for a very long time. So he had no illusions for a very long time about this. Therefore, all these performances were amazing for me,” Medvedev noted. According to him, Kudrin, "of course, did not know about any layouts, this is understandable, about any proposals with whom we will turn to the congress (" United Russia ". - Ed.)." Medvedev also stated that "Kudrin is an experienced person, a good specialist, he will find a job for himself and will be useful to the state."

On September 26, Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree on the resignation of Alexei Kudrin. The press secretary of Medvedev Natalya Timakova emphasized that Medvedev fired Kudrin at the proposal of the prime minister. "The Minister of Finance of the application (on resignation. - Ed.) Did not submit. The president signed a decree in accordance with the current procedure on the proposal of the Prime Minister," Timakova said. Kudrin claimed that he personally resigned.

"I am addressing you right here with such a proposal: if you think that you have other views on the economic agenda than the president, that is, I, you can write an appropriate resignation application. Reply, of course, right here and now. Will you write a statement?" - said Medvedev at a meeting of the Presidential Commission on the modernization and technological development of the Russian economy.

“I really have disagreements with you, but I will make a decision in connection with your proposal, having consulted with the Prime Minister,” Kudrin said in response. “You can consult with anyone, including the Prime Minister, but while I am the president, I am making such decisions myself. You will need to decide very quickly and today give me an answer: either you proceed from the fact that the disagreements that you call do not exist, and then you have to comment on this. If these disagreements exist, I don’t see another way out, although, of course, it is unpleasant,” Medvedev said.

“Alexei Leonidovich, as I understand it, had the opportunity to declare his position earlier and make a decision on his political future. By the way, even to join the“ right forces. ”They called, as they say, Alexei Leonidovich refused. Apparently, for some other considerations,” Medvedev said. In June, the president said that Kudrin could become a "excellent leader" for the right party. “I believe that the beautiful leader of the“ right ”party would come out of Alexei Kudrin, he refuses to vain. I think this would not be bad for the country,” Medvedev said then.

Before that, Kudrin said that he would refuse to work in the government if Medvedev led him. "I do not see myself in the new government. The point is not only that no one offered me, but I think that the disagreements that I have, they do not allow me to go to this government," Kudrin said. According to him, he and Medvedev have disagreements on economic policy, including them concern "significant expenses for military purposes."

"I am sorry that these issues are not discussed enough at the Congress of United Russia, questions about such serious resources that are spent on military purposes, which is a turning point in the country's budget policy," the minister said. In addition, Kudrin expressed disagreement with an increase in social expenses. According to him, "the trial reform in 2008 has not ended and cannot yet be considered successful."