by Elena Kucheryavaya
On May 7, 2018 Vladimir Putin officially took office as a President of Russia for a new term, which will expire on May 7, 2024. He was re-elected in March, what appears to have been one of the cleaner elections in Russia’s history.
As reported by TASS (http://tass.ru/politika/5181084), State Duma’s Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin called V.Putin’s accession to the post of President as a new stage in the development of the Russian Federation, and noted that the country’s government faces hard and responsible work.
The newly elected head of state delivered a welcome speech, in which he thanked citizens for their support in the March 2018 elections. Vladimir Putin called the thesis “Russia for people” as his key priority, and also promised to do everything for the present and future of the country (Vladimir Putin’s speech at the inauguration – http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/57416, http://tass.ru/politika/5180768).
Approval of the candidacy of the new Prime Minister
Following the inauguration of the new President, a new government of the Russian Federation, headed by the Prime Minister, has to be formed. The formation of a new Cabinet of Ministers, according to Art. 111 and 112 of the Russian Constitution, must be held in two stages. Firstly, the President of Russia appoints a Prime Minister with the consent of the State Duma (by a majority of votes from the constitutional number of deputies, it means no less than 226). Then the Chairman of the government presents to the head of state his proposals on the structure and composition of the Cabinet within a week.
According to the constitutional law “on the Government of the Russian Federation” of December 17, 1997, a candidate for the post of head of the Cabinet of Ministers should not have foreign citizenship or another document giving the right to permanent residence on the territory of a foreign state. In accordance with the legislation on the state civil service, applicants for the replacement of senior governmental positions must have a higher education, and also at least four years of the work in the civil service or specialty.
The President have to submit to the State Duma the proposal of the candidacy of the new Chairman of the government not later than two weeks after his inauguration or after the resignation of the previous government. If the candidature is re-submitted (after the State Duma’s rejection), the submission deadline is reduced to one week. The Duma has a week to discuss the candidacy proposed by the President. According to regulations, the head of state or his authorized representative must officially submit to the deputies the candidate for the post of Prime Minister. This will present the main directions of activity of the future government and answer the questions of parliamentarians. Then representatives of the Duma’s factions express support for the candidacy of the new prime minister or the contrary and will vote.
The decision of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation of 11 December 1998 recognizes that the President has the right to submit to the Duma the same candidate two or three times, or different candidates. If the State Duma rejects candidates nominated by the President three times, the head of State appoints the chairman of the Government, dissolves the Duma and determines the date of new elections. In this case, the Constitution allows the head of State to dissolve the Duma even in the first year after the parliamentary elections.
On May 8, 2018 Dmitry Medvedev was appointed as a Prime Minister, after his candidacy had been approved by the State Duma. (more information – http://en.kremlin.ru/acts/news/57422, http://en.kremlin.ru/acts/news/57432, http://tass.ru/politika/5197989 )
Formation of the government
Under Article 112 of the Russian Constitution, not later than a week after being appointed as the head of government, the Prime Minister presents to the President his proposals on the structure of federal executive bodies of power. This structure is approved by the decree (executive order) of the President of the Russian Federation, and according to it the Prime Minister proposes a list of candidates for the replacement of the posts of deputy prime ministers and federal ministers. The President approves them on the relevant positions. In practice, at this stage of forming the Cabinet of Ministers, the head of state plays a leading role. In particular, the Chairman of the government may refuse to offer candidacies for any posts, leaving their appointment entirely at the President. The maximum period for the formation of a new government in accordance with Art. 111 and 112 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation is one month.
At a meeting with the President Putin on May 15, 2018 in Sochi, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, presenting the draft of the relevant decree, explained the absence in it of fundamental, large-scale changes by the fact that “the functioning structure of the government has proved its efficiency”. Meanwhile, he noted that the document “has a number of important proposals, that are aimed at optimization of the current system of executive authorities”. President Vladimir Putin approved a new structure of the federal government in Russia. (more information: Executive Order On the Structure of Federal Executive Bodies of Power – http://en.kremlin.ru/acts/news/57475, http://tass.ru/politika/5203399).
The goals and priorities for the new Russian government
On May 7, 2018 President Putin has set the goals for the Government of Russia for the next six years. Immediately following inauguration, he signed a decree (Executive Order On National Goals and Strategic Objectives of the Russian Federation through to 2024 – http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/57425), that covers 12 areas, and each of them has specific indicators. The document is a logical continuation of the President’s address to the Federal Assembly on March 1, 2018. As in the address to the Parliament, the main task of the government in the next six years V.Putin called scientific, technological and socio-economic development. The most important goals are: ensuring sustainable natural growth of the population of the Russian Federation, raising life expectancy to 78 years, increasing real incomes and pensions for citizens, and poverty reduction. The Cabinet of Ministers should also achieve an improvement in the living conditions of at least 5 million families per year, an increase of the number of organizations that carry out technological innovations, and accelerate the implementation of digital technologies in the economy and the social sphere. By this document, the head of state ordered to ensure Russia’s entry into the five largest economies of the world, all the while maintaining GDP growth above the global average.
The document prescribes to the government to approve until October 1, 2018 the main areas of its activities for the period up to 2024, including the specified national goals. At the same time, the Cabinet of Ministers must submit for consideration by the Presidential Council on Strategic Development and Priority Projects national programs on 12 directions: demography, health, education, housing, roads, labor productivity, ecology, digital economy, entrepreneurship, exports, science, culture. When forming the draft federal budget, these directions will be provided as a matter of priority. The points of the presidential Executive Order specify the indicators that the government will have to achieve. (more information – http://tass.ru/politika/5182861).
Sources:
http://en.kremlin.ru/acts/news/57422
http://en.kremlin.ru/acts/news/57432
http://en.kremlin.ru/acts/news/57475
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/57416
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/57425
http://tass.ru/info/5180447
http://tass.ru/politika/5181084
http://tass.ru/politika/5182861
https://regnum.ru/news/2412099.html
http://tass.ru/politika/5180768
http://tass.ru/politika/5203399
http://tass.ru/politika/5197989
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