Volodin passes the party

Autumn castling showed: the positions of the current speaker of the State Duma in the power hierarchy are significantly reduced

Vyacheslav Volodin (in the center). Photo: kremlin.ru

A series of autumn resignations and appointments occurred exactly a year after Vyacheslav Volodin, an influential official, the Kremlin curator of domestic politics, as one of the leaders of the United Russia triumphantly defeating the State Duma. And he received formally the fourth post in the country. And although his opponents already predicted that the new mission threatens with a hardware loss, the supporters assured: Volodin was specifically allowed to build up public weight in order to go from the new site to the premieres, and there, you look, and to the successors. At the same time, the apologists appealed to the unique personal qualities of the new parliamentary boss and to how flexible and solid party-political system it was possible to rebuild.

Kremlin architect

Indeed, Volodin is one of the most ambitious and energetic people surrounded by President Putin, which is recognized by both his friends and his opponents. Over the years of the leadership of the Kremlin’s domestic political unit (2011-2016), he built an unprecedented monolithic structure that his predecessor Vladislav Surkov still did not dream. He was forced to reckon with the fact that the positions in the structures subordinate to him were divided between representatives of different groups of influence. Volodin’s people took control of both “United Russia” and the All -Russian Popular Front, took many positions in the State Duma, sat in the seats of governors, received posts in the government. And, of course, almost all important positions in the domestic political block of the Kremlin occupied.

After Volodin left for the Duma, many of these people for some time inertia retained positions. But the new curator of domestic politics Sergey Kiriyenko and the numerous opponents of the speaker could not endure this for a long time. The changes were brewing, as usual, gradually and imperceptibly. The last permutations (already what happened and planned) in the party, the State Duma and the Governor's Corps were demonstrated: the situation for Volodin and his team changes dramatically.

Over the years of the leadership of the Kremlin’s domestic political unit (2011-2016), he built an unprecedented monolithic structure that his predecessor Vladislav Surkov was not dreamed of

Neverov fell out of trust

The Office of United Russia will lose this week. According to the Rain TV channel, which confirm NT sources, Sergey Neverov will leave the post of secretary of the General Council of the party. He is a long -term ally -coming of Volodin and his neighbor in the cooperative "Pine". Volodin has repeatedly called Neverov a friend, they often go to work together, says the interlocutor NT in the party. According to him, it was Volodin who broke the appointment of Neverov by the secretary of the General Council of United Russia in 2010. Then they adjusted the charter of the party, and in the end it turned out that the Secretary of the General Council actually concentrated in his hands the leadership of all the current affairs of the United Russia.

Formally, in the party hierarchy of Neverov, only the third - after the chairman of the party Dmitry Medvedev and the head of the bureau of the Higher Council Boris Gryzlov. But the prime minister solves global issues, and Gryzlov’s capabilities were reduced to formal. In the same way, Volodin, with the participation of Neverov, gradually placed his people at all guiding posts without exception in another important party body - the Central Executive Committee.

From left to right - Sergey Neverov and Vyacheslav Volodin. Photo: govermentpolit.ru

Kiriyenko, after his arrival at Volodin’s place in the Kremlin, outwardly demonstrated indifference to the party, say United Russia. He was preoccupied with building a structure in the Kremlin’s domestic political unit and prepared the presidential elections scenarios, and the party was not supposed to assign any significant role, except for the participation of the signatures. The Kremlin officials defiantly emphasized that the president would not be nominated from United Russia, but will go to the elections as a self -nominant.

At the same time, Neverov and other party functionaries continued to go to meetings to the Kremlin, but this did not happen so often. There were cases when Neverov and his closest party associates simply did not know how to respond to important events - the presidential administration often did not consider it necessary to give instructions on important topics, how everyone used to get used to the time of Volodin, says a familiar secretary of the General Council. According to him, Neverov was lost, but could not do anything about it.

The state of affairs began to change several months ago-rumors appeared that Neverova would still change, says Unicorn. Apparently, Kiriyenko finished settling things in the Kremlin and thought that United Russia would still have to be used in the presidential election, the party members decided.

Volodin has repeatedly called Neverov a friend, they often go to work together, says the interlocutor NT in the party. According to him, it was Volodin who broke the appointment of Neverov by the secretary of the General Council of United Russia in 2010

As a result, a special design was needed to change Nenrov, and NT interlocutors do not give a single version of what is primary in it. Last week, President Vladimir Putin after the actual rebellion of the head of Dagestan Ramazan Abdulatipov finally resigned him (Abdulatipov criticized the Kremlin officials lobbying his dismissal). The leader of the Duma faction of United Russia, Vladimir Vasiliev, was unexpectedly appointed in his place, former deputy Vladimir Putin in the Council of People's Commissars and a former state secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. After that, information appeared that the Duma faction would lead Neverov. A little later, RBC reported a possible resignation from the post of Governor of the Pskov Region Andrei Turchak and his appointment to the post of secretary of the General Council of United Russia.

The main motive for the authors of this combination was the desire to free the secretary of the General Council - Neverov, thanks to the transfer of Vasiliev to Dagestan, found an opportunity for an honorary transition to the head of the faction, so that he, in turn, released a place for the Turchak, assures the interlocutor close to the Kremlin. Another NT source believes that the Kremlin’s domestic political block was “just lucky”: Putin did not find anyone better than Vasiliev on Dagestan, and this opened the way to change Nenarov.

The NT -Russian medical schools in United Russia on the appointment of Turchak perceived as a signal to further changes - they believe that many people appointed under Volodin will also lose their places. It is unlikely that Turchak does not want to bring "his" his ", one of the interlocutors of NT argues. According to him, the question of who and when they change, the most discussed in United Russia.

Loss of governors and ONF

The resignation of the head of Dagestan deprived Volodin not only of his ally in the party, but also of his "" man at the governor's post. Volodin and Abdulatipov - have long been familiar, say several NT sources close to the Kremlin. In the early 2000s, Abdulatipov even represented the Saratov Region for Volodin in the Federation Council, and when Volodin became a curator of domestic policy, it was he who recommended a comrade to the post of head of Dagestan, says one of the interlocutors. Now Abdulatipov is leaving, and retirement.

In total, Vladimir Putin fired eight governors at once during this fall, of which at least three were considered Volodin’s protege, NT interlocutors say. In addition to Abdulatipov, this is the former head of the Primorsky Territory Vladimir Miklushevsky and ex-governor of the Novosibirsk region Vladimir Gorodetsky. Not without the participation of Volodin, two more dismissed governor - the Oryol region Vadim Paraksky and Ivanovo Region Pavel Konkov.

Ramazan Abdulatipov. Photo: vestikavkaza.ru

One of Volodin’s main projects - the All -Russian Popular Front (ONF) invented and rebuilt before Putin’s return to the Kremlin - is generally at risk, the interlocutors of NT say. Under Volodin, the front was one of the main translators of the will of power. For example, it was the members of the ONF, publishing exposing investigations, who often prepared the elite for the resignation of governors. With the advent of the new authorities, the front began to appear in the media much less often than before. It is not a bet on him, and his future is vaguely: the Kremlin wants to somehow reform it, but does not yet understand what to do with this movement, a source close to the presidential administration says.

Strangers in the Kremlin

The problems of United Russia, front -line soldiers and governors were far from the first for Volodin. Sergei Kiriyenko, with the advent of the Kremlin, immediately removed the most faithful part of the current speaker of the Duma of people in AP. Following Volodin, Tatyana Voronova, the head of the key domestic policy department, and her deputy for the information bloc Olga Sitnikova moved to the Duma. A little later, the State Duma curator from this department, Sergei Smirnov, appointed to this position, Volodin shortly before the transition to the lower ward.

Then, the head of the Department of Public Projects of the Presidential Administration (subordinate to the curator of domestic policy), an influential official Pavel Zenkovich, retired. Moreover, Zenkovich had to agree to become a deputy of his former deputy-he was invited by the state secretary of the Ministry of Education, despite the fact that his head Olga Vasilieva was earlier than Zamom Zenkovich in the department of public projects.

NT -householders in United Russia on the appointment of Turchak perceived as a signal to further changes - they believe that many people appointed under Volodin will also lose their places

Moreover, Volodin also lost his man as the head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs - Sergei Pospelov, after the arrival, Kiriyenko was forced to go to work in the State Duma apparatus.

However, the interlocutors of NT, close to the Kremlin, call these permutations logical and not related to Volodin’s influence-Kiriyenko would never agree to lead the domestic political block without a card blanche to bring his people there. The question is not why, after Volodin, his people went from the Kremlin, but why did Volodin transferred to the Duma at all, one of the interlocutors asks.

Kovalchuki and displacement of Volodin

Volodin perfectly understood that during his time he quarreled with many influential officials, says the interlocutor NT. He recalls that the current speaker has long been hostile to the Surkov and the other first deputy head of the Kremlin administration, who oversees the information policy, Alexei Gromov, and now the former head of the presidential administration Sergey Ivanov. There were friction with both the Minister of Defense Sergey Shoigu and the mayor of Moscow Sergei Sobyanin - it is easier to list those with whom Volodin had normal relations, the interlocutor is ironic.

But Volodin was convinced for a very long time that conflicts with these people were safe for him - he believed that they were not so loved by each other that they could never force themselves to join him, the former presidential administration officer says on the conditions of anonymity. However, the interlocutor of the magazine notes, in this the curator of domestic politics miscalculated: at some point they united. Putin’s discontent was easily reinforced with other arguments: Volodin held a non -public position, but at the same time reached out to publicity and, on the whole, did not always successfully hide his political ambitions, says the interlocutor NT. Therefore, according to him, the idea to appoint him to the public post of the State Duma speaker came to his liking.

In total, Vladimir Putin fired eight governors at once during this fall, of which at least three were considered Volodin's protege

The decisive role in Volodin’s fate was not played by all of the above officials and factors, but by a group of Kovalchuk - long -standing acquaintances of the president and influential businessmen. This converges all NT sources close to the Kremlin and the leadership of the State Duma. “At some point, Volodin began to behave with them as equal. This led to conflicts. And as soon as the Kovalchuki went into the category of his opponents - Volodin’s fate was decided, ”one of the interlocutors explains.

As an example of how Volodin quarreled with important officials, another interlocutor cites a conflict that occurred between Volodin and then the head of Rosatom Kiriyenko in the first half of 2016, at that moment the elites were preparing for the State Duma elections. “Kiriyenko had a candidate for the State Duma for one of the single -member districts of the Chelyabinsk region, where Rosatom enterprises are represented. This is an honored corporation employee, he was agreed at all levels. It was assumed that he would win the primaries and a place in the lower house is guaranteed, ”the interlocutor claims. - But Volodin decided that another person should go to the Duma, and ordered Neverov to delete the representative of Rosatom from the lists of participants in the primaries, and he did not even warn Kiriyenko about this. When Kiriyenko tried to discuss this situation, he received a rude, as it seemed to him, lapel. ” An important detail of this story: Kiriyenko, according to NT sources, is close to the same Kovalchuk. Their voice, in the end, became decisive.

“At some point, Volodin began to behave with them as equal. This led to conflicts. And as soon as Kovalchuki went into the category of his opponents - Volodin's fate was decided "

True, even the highest -ranking NT interlocutors find it difficult to answer the question whether the transfer to the speakers for Volodin with an increase or decrease. Its influence has decreased hardware, they admit. On the other hand, in the official hierarchy, he occupies one of the highest posts, as well as on the rights of the speaker, is one of the most important state governance bodies - the Security Council.

The State Duma entitled to the speaker is under his full control. Kiriyenko was able to achieve the resignation of Sergei Smirnov from the post of the Kremlin curator of the lower house, but he could not appoint anyone in his place - it is vacant since the beginning of the year. In addition, a close associate of Vasiliev, instead of the protege of the security forces of Vasiliev, will now lead the close ally of the unborn. Close to Volodin Olga Vasilieva still remains the Minister of Education, and in United Russia there are so many people that they are unlikely to be dismissed, the NT source notes. According to him, all this allows us to consider the question of the future of the speaker is still open.