The untouchable prime minister

On March 29, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev visited the Arkhangelsk region on a working trip, including the island of Alexandra Land, which is part of the Franz Josef Land archipelago

For Medvedev, these are not the best days. Millions of people watched the film of the Anti-Corruption Foundation Alexei Navalny “He is not Dimon to you”. March 26 rallies across the country - against the authorities, against corruption, but also against Medvedev personally - became the most successful opposition action in many years. In the media, even after the rallies, revealing materials appeared that continued to work out the theme of “a corrupt official with a house for a duck.” The Communist Party of the Russian Federation and "Fair Russia" timidly, with all possible curtsy, but still started talking about the need to investigate the facts set forth in the FBK film.

All this has intensified talk about the possible resignation of Medvedev. Theoretically, such a resignation for Putin is a good move in the framework of the election campaign: an extremely popular president punishes an unpopular prime minister, responding to the aspirations of the broad masses. Actually, the joint act of extreme tourism, which, however, was planned long before March 26, is Putin's answer to such rumors: in the short term, resignation is impossible.

Putin and Medvedev posed in identical red down jackets against the backdrop of centuries of snow, the president tapped the ice with an ice ax (but did not find the amphora), after which politicians No. 1 and No. 2 walked through the ice cave.

The very next day in Moscow, Medvedev scolded the head of the Ministry of Agriculture, Alexander Tkachev, for being late for a government meeting and advised him to set "alarm clocks in different places." Even from the frames of the protocol shooting, it is clear that both the prime minister's mood and condition are so-so now. It seems that he was offended by the people of the Russian Federation, who did not appreciate his passion for fashionable sports shoes.

The prime minister has, of course, reasons for being offended, but there is no cause for serious concern. The attack by Navalny for the Kremlin is like a sign of quality, an indicator of the highest level of official loyalty. Plus ten to the defense, if expressed in the language of computer gamers, which, due to the change of generations, will soon, apparently, supplant the usual jargon of political scientists.

But more broadly - inside the uncomplicated boyish ethics that guides the autocrat from the St. Petersburg gateways, now, when the impressions from the investigations and rallies are fresh, touching Medvedev means bending before those whom you deeply, to the point of contempt, do not respect. Before society, that is. This is simply impossible to afford.

The activity of the systemic parties should not be overestimated either: they have elections, their task is to ensure the turnout and the illusion of competition. To remind them that they exist at all, that they are in the opposition, in the end, it’s just to chat up the topic (it’s clear, after all, that nothing but an unsubscribe from the prosecutor’s office in response to the deputies’ requests will follow). Systemic parties in big politics have the same role as pro-Kremlin activists on the street. Activists are needed to declare a rally on a convenient platform, not allowing real opposition there. System parties - to huddle senselessly on the political field, excluding the possibility of a real discussion of real problems. Here they are working out.

There is also a simple calendar consideration: on April 19, the prime minister reports to the Duma, and he is the leader of United Russia, which has a constitutional majority in parliament. In the imitation political system of the Russian Federation, everything is possible, however, to force the ruling party to kick its head after Navalny’s investigations is quite some kind of absurdity and scandal, Putin is unlikely to go for it.

For the slow-witted, the president, answering a question about the rallies on March 26 during the Arctic Forum in Arkhangelsk, repeated the basics of agitprop: “This tool (the fight against corruption. - NT) was used at the beginning of the so-called “Arab Spring”. What this led to, we know very well. We also know very well that this was one of the motives and reasons for the coup d'état in Ukraine. In what chaos these events plunged our neighbor, Ukraine, we also know very well.” Thus, for the coming months, Navalny made Medvedev inviolable. The prime minister can calmly admire the collection of sneakers and restore peace of mind.