Regional officials were unofficially banned from vacationing abroad

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Campaigns were launched in several Russian regions at once to force officials and deputies to give up foreign holidays, writes Kommersant . The reason was several high-profile scandals related to the holidays of civil servants in foreign resorts on New Year's holidays.

During the holidays, two regional deputies were sharply criticized for vacations abroad. First, a storm of indignation among users of social networks was caused by a video from the vacation of a non-partisan deputy of the Kursk Regional Duma Maxim Vasiliev in Mexico, and then a selfie of United Russia from the Vologda Legislative Assembly Denis Dolzhenko from Dubai. Not only social media users, but also representatives of the federal authorities drew attention to the publications: First Vice Speaker of the Federation Council, Secretary of the General Council of United Russia Andrei Turchak called Vasiliev “shit” and called for the resignation of the deputy mandate, and Dolzhenko promised to expel him from the party.

After that, the regional authorities began to "strongly recommend" deputies and local officials "to refrain from traveling to foreign countries." Such a “recommendation”, for example, was made by the governor of the Vologda region Oleg Kuvshinnikov, the governor of the Ulyanovsk region Alexei Russkikh, the head of the United Russia faction in the Tambov regional Duma Yuri Pluzhnikov and others.

The authorities explain that it is impossible to officially limit the travel of officials and deputies abroad, since the regional authorities do not have the appropriate powers, but "everyone understands what this recommendation means."

However, political scientist Konstantin Kalachev believes that the campaign to refuse foreign holidays is more like a regional PR and "imitation of big bosses." But, despite this, in his opinion, "history has potential, there will certainly be those who want to make officials and deputies restricted to travel abroad."