No place for old people?

The new government has been preparing for so long that the announced list will cause a lot of disappointment. Some are disappointed by the “autism” of Medvedev’s cabinet - its composition is not designed for dialogue with society. Others - and they are also right - will not find in it a hint of a new government course. Yes, the new cabinet is the fruit of a compromise... But this is not a compromise of strategies or ideas.

The Medvedev-Putin castling elevated the role of “deputy”, patiently waiting for a vacancy, to valor. That's why there are so many recent deputies in the cabinet. But what are the old people doing here?

The remnants of the previous government entered the new one in different ways. Since the new one doesn't have any new program, even more could be left behind. But the filters through which they passed are different.

Thus, the President and Prime Minister consider Defense Minister Serdyukov to be a very successful minister. True, their point of view is not shared by the army, which is dissatisfied with the reform. But it seems that the reform worked, and the combat effectiveness of the Armed Forces, according to experts, has increased. And Putin is placing an important bet on the army in the coming years (considered in the Kremlin to be an era of new military risks). Hence the costly priority of its rearmament.

Mutko is just an old friend. This is a different filter, a different motivation. There is such a role - to be a good friend. Mutko is Putin’s man, irreplaceable for some mysterious personal reasons. The position, however, is not eternal, because until recently the equally incapable Minister Nurgaliev was irreplaceable.

Apparently, Medvedev personally insisted on Konovalov. And he did the right thing. This is simply a competent minister. A person in his place is a rarity in governments.

Lavrov is a reassuring (perhaps for investors as well) sign of foreign policy continuity. There has been an interesting evolution with him. Once upon a time, 5-7 years ago, he was considered a temporary figure. The still young Kremlin team, which had ambitious world plans, saw in him a simple commentator on their decisions. They expected his replacement during the transition to a stronger foreign policy (which was still dreamed of).

But - in the apparatus it is important to sit out the dreamers! Today Lavrov already looks like a man with a more solid reputation in world affairs than, in fact, the rest of the Kremlin. As Moscow's foreign policy flattens, Sergei Lavrov's figure rises and he has become a foreign policy guru. That’s how he should be in his new office.

Perhaps next time he will dissuade the prime minister from damaging our stock market with awkward hints about nuclear risks?

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