Sergei Markov: the new governors are Putin's soldiers. It became known when and why the resignations of governors will end Troika is also a satisfactory assessment

Sergei Markov. Photo: Yury Parshintsev / Parliamentary Newspaper

Why is the old guard of governors leaving, and what does the president expect from the new generation of managers? The director of the Institute for Political Studies spoke about this in an interview with Parliamentary Newspaper.

Sergei Alexandrovich, at the beginning of the week, the media announced the impending resignations of 10 governors. However, so far President Vladimir Putin has signed decrees on the early termination of the powers of only the governor of the Samara region, Nikolai Merkushkin, and the head of the Nizhny Novgorod region, Valery Shantsev. Is the script confirmed?

To some extent, yes. The resignation of the governors of two very large, economically developed regions, such as the Samara and Nizhny Novgorod regions, where, by the way, opposition sentiments are strong, is still not a minor reshuffle. Now the media are reporting about voluntarily leaving his post as head of Dagestan Ramazana Abdulatipova and the Governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The trend may continue. We do not know whether there will be ten governors or not, but this is certainly not an isolated case.

In general, resignations in such large regions, where millions of voters live, indicate that this is still a political line. Quite old governors who had a long political career are leaving: both Merkushkin and Shantsev were long-term leaders.

- The President does not trust the old guard?

I think Vladimir Putin is striving for a personnel renewal of the country. Since the demand for new faces is obvious. Characteristically, the last gubernatorial elections were won by candidates who were practically unknown in the regions. For example, the former head of the Public Chamber Alexander Brechalov. Being a new face, young, literate, he easily won the elections in Udmurtia. As it turned out, it was enough for voters to know that the president supported him.

The president's calculation that this type of governor is in demand today turned out to be correct.

- Were there other preferences before?

The gubernatorial corps in Russia is changing in waves, and there are reasons for that. In the first wave, in the early nineties, there were the so-called young reformers, democrats, such as Boris Nemtsov and partly Anatoly Sobchak. In the second wave, there were former local secretaries of regional committees - political heavyweights from the Soviet era. During this period, critical attitudes towards the new government, which was perceived as a destructive force, intensified, and people in the regions saw certain saviors in the governors. They were supposed to realize the potential of the region left from Soviet times and save it from destruction. One of the brightest representatives of that cohort can be called Nikolay Kondratenko- ex-governor of the Krasnodar Territory.

The old guard is being replaced by young deideologized and depoliticized technocrats. The President is betting on them. How successful the choice will be, time will tell.

In the second half of the 90s, there was a request for governors-generals. Chaos and anarchy reigned in the country at that time, and it was only military generals who could restore order in the regions far from Moscow. Among them were, for example, Alexander Lebed And Vladimir Shamanov.

The third wave in Vladimir Putin's first term was marked by business governors. Then there was a trend towards the development of the economy and private business. You can remember the ex-governor of the Tula region Vladimir Gruzdev, which has been regularly ranked by Forbes since 2005.

After them came a wave of Chekist governors. These were people from the special services who helped the president in critical situations. For example, the current head of Ingushetia Yunus-bek Yevkurov. He is also a scout and played an important role in restoring order in the North Caucasus.

We are witnessing the fifth wave right now: technocratic governors are coming to rule the regions. Some, like the governor of Sevastopol Dmitry Ovsyannikov, economists, others also have experience in federal government. These people are functions. They also have an important circumstance - they are quite young and represent a new generation.

- That is, this type of governor is in demand now?

The last wave just tries to answer this question. The first thing that catches the eye is the strict observance of the condition that the new governor should not be associated with local elites. The President is consciously renewing the regional authorities. It's like a ship that has to dock and clean the keel of shells, then continue sailing. Shells, figuratively speaking, are corrupt ties that the new governor must destroy.

Second, it is the society's demand for new faces in politics. He really exists. And thirdly, this is that the president does not close, does not block the rejuvenation of the governor's corps.

The Administration of the President of Russia decided that the benefits from such a step would be greater than the risks. Apparently, they thought that the presidential appointees would have enough time left until March to get in the know and actively participate in the presidential election campaign.

The average age of State Duma deputies is much less than that of US senators and congressmen. We have more young deputies and ministers than any other country in the world. Therefore, the image of power in our country is quite young.

The old guard is being replaced by young deideologized and depoliticized technocrats. The President is betting on them. How successful the choice will be, time will tell. I think that Vladimir Putin wants the chairs of regional leaders to be occupied by people who are ready to work 20 hours a day. So that they move their regions forward through good governance, but at the same time not engage in populism. By the way, they won't succeed anyway, because Putin's henchmen do not have their own electoral potential. People do not vote for them in elections, because they have never been seen before. They vote for the president. Therefore, we can say that the president's soldiers sit in the chairs of the governors.

Why was it necessary to change governors before the presidential elections? Many experts say that this is not the best time.

I think that the Administration of the President of Russia decided that the benefits from such a step would be greater than the risks. Apparently, they thought that the presidential appointees would have enough time left until March to get in the know and actively participate in the presidential election campaign.

- Who do you think will be the next to leave the post of governor?

Nobody knows. There are no obvious figures. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the Presidential Administration has its own criteria for this, which differ from, say, public assessments of the effectiveness of governors. There are dozens of these criteria. Therefore, I would not exaggerate the awareness of a number of media about some of the names that are allegedly threatened with resignation in the near future.

A new wave of gubernatorial resignations began on March 19 with the departure of Boris Dubrovsky from the post of governor of the Chelyabinsk region. The process of regional rotations continues, and according to various sources, at least two more governors are next in line. Interlocutors of "FederalPress" name the main candidates to replace them. Who are waiting for vacant chairs of regional heads? Details are in our material.

Lost in history

Yesterday Boris Dubrovsky left the post of governor of the Chelyabinsk region. Federal and regional political scientists have long predicted this resignation. Dubrovsky was replaced by the first deputy minister of energy Alexey Teksler, whom the Kremlin previously considered as the future governor of one of the problem regions. The appointment to the Chelyabinsk region was facilitated by the origin of Texler.

The banner of the spring governor's fall was picked up by the head of the Altai Republic Alexander Berdnikov. Oleg Khorokhordin, head of the GLONASS joint venture, became the new acting head of the region. FederalPress predicted this appointment on the morning of March 19th.

“He worked in the Central Federal District, in the presidential administration, in the government of the Moscow region. He has a very rich experience both in the commercial sphere and in the civil service. This shows commitment to the technocrats. On the other hand, this demonstrates the strong influence of the deputy head of the presidential administration, Sergei Kiriyenko, on these appointments,” the political scientist comments on the new appointment. Pavel Danilin.

Resigned from his post and the head of Kalmykia Alexey Orlov, who also more than once fell into the pool of potential retirees. He was replaced by a member of the Federation Council, a former kickboxer Batu Khasikov.

“The region was in the hands of Orlov for quite a long time, who had the opportunity to show what he was capable of. The population was tired of it, they wanted a replacement, new prospects. A unique situation has developed in Kalmykia, when the birth rate greatly exceeds the death rate and there is a wild decline in the population due to migration. The people do not want to live in Kalmykia. Both Kalmyks and Russians are fleeing from there,” political scientist Pavel Danilin explains the reshuffle in Kalmykia.

Deputies-industrialists to replace the governors

The next person to retire is likely to be the governor of the Orenburg region. Yuri Berg. So far, this information has not been officially confirmed, but his departure from office is also predicted for a long time. Berg has been in the governor's chair since 2010. Experts note that the population of the Orenburg region is electorally tired of Berg, and in September 2019 he would simply be unelected.

FederalPress sources name the first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy as the main candidate to replace Berg Vladimir Gutenev. This is reported by interlocutors in the State Duma and those close to the Presidential Administration. Gutenev has a rich background and vast experience in social work. Among other things, he is the first vice-president of the Union of Machine Builders of Russia, deputy chairman of the central audit commission of the ONF. He also worked as an adviser to the CEO of the Russian Technologies State Corporation. Gutenev - professor, doctor of technical sciences. He can be counted among the Kremlin technocrats. In addition, he is a non-partisan, which already adds points to his electability in the new political reality. Gutenev's biography is ideal for the appointment of acting governor, except for one point - he is not a native of the Orenburg region. Gutenev was born in Tambov.

Political scientists and journalists call another governor to go out Andrey Bocharov, who has been in charge of the Volgograd region since 2014. However, according to FederalPress, Bocharov's resignation will not happen this time. The fact is that on March 15, Bocharov met with Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin, where they discussed the successes of the region and plans for the future. The president usually does not hold such meetings with governors who are leaving their posts. Thus, Bocharov will survive this fall of governor.

Meanwhile, it is worth taking a closer look at the potential replacement for Bocharov (and if he retains the post of governor, the heads of other regions). According to a FederalPress source, among the most likely candidates for a replacement, the Kremlin is considering another State Duma deputy - Denis Kravchenko. He is a member of the General Council of the United Russia party and coordinator of the Locomotives of Growth project. Kravchenko is an experienced apparatchik and has extensive managerial experience. In 2008, he was appointed deputy head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs. From 2011 to 2014, he served as Deputy Governor of the Pskov Region. The next job before being elected to the State Duma was the United Rocket and Space Corporation, where Kravchenko was deputy general director. Kravchenko's appointment is also supported by the fact that he was born in Volgograd. Also, State Duma deputy Irina Yarovaya previously appeared on the lists of possible candidates for governor of the Volgograd region.

Unsinkable

The most difficult story with a possible resignation and a new appointment remains the situation in the Murmansk region. According to unofficial data, Marina Kovtun has already written a letter of resignation, but this information has not yet been confirmed. Due to a number of corruption scandals in 2017, in which the deputy chief of staff of the government of the region was involved Eduard Nikrashevsky and Vice Governor Igor Babenko, Kovtun began to predict not only resignation, but also arrest. It should be noted that Kovtun was unable to establish relations with the local elites, and the security forces have a grudge against her. Adding fuel to the fire was the testimony of Babenko, who in February 2019 claimed that Kovtun personally instructed government officials to collect money from businesses and spend it on banquets, gifts for federal officials, and buying fishing equipment and alcohol.

As one of the sources of FederalPress notes, the issue of Kovtun's resignation has long been resolved. The decision is delayed due to the search for a replacement.

“It is very, very difficult to persuade someone to go to this region,” the source of our agency notes.

Russian political scientists and journalists believe that the current wave of gubernatorial resignations will be limited to 5-6 officials, and the process of personnel renewal will continue in the autumn. According to FederalPress, the heads of two more regions will leave their posts by the end of March. As noted by the speaker of the Federation Council, Valentina Matviyenko, the reshuffle in the governor's corps will continue until mid-April.

Photo: RIA Novosti / Mikhail Klimentyev

MOSCOW, September 29 - RIA Novosti. The heads of Kalmykia, North Ossetia, the Republic of Altai, Novosibirsk, Murmansk, Omsk, Vladimir and Ivanovo regions, Altai and Primorsky territories, as well as the governor of St. Petersburg, may soon resign. This is stated in the expert report of the holding "Minchenko Consulting" "Politburo 2.0 and the governor's corps".

The stability rating of governors was formed as follows: each of them was assigned a score based on nine criteria. Experts analyzed the activities of the heads of regions from January to August 2017. They were awarded "bonuses" and deducted "fines". Experts considered the support of the governors by near-Kremlin forces, the presence of large projects in the region, the economic attractiveness of the territories, the slow expiration of the powers of the head of the region, their recognizable image and the high quality of political management as "bonuses". "Penalties" are federal and regional conflicts, criminal cases and arrests of people close to the head of the region. The higher the final score, the greater the chances of the governor to remain in office. As a result, three risk groups were formed within the governor's corps: "resignation is unlikely", "there is a risk of resignation", "high probability of resignation".

Thus, the heads of regions, whose resignation, according to experts, is most likely, received eight or less points.

The governor of Kalmykia Alexei Orlov received the least number of points. He has four points. Next comes the head of the Novosibirsk region Vladimir Gorodetsky - five points. Behind him with six points are the governor of the Murmansk region Marina Kovtun, the head of the Altai Territory Alexander Karlin and the governor of the Omsk region Viktor Nazarov. The head of the Primorsky Territory Vladimir Miklushevsky received seven points in this rating, and the governors of the Vladimir region Svetlana Orlova, Ivanovo region Pavel Konkov and the heads of North Ossetia Vyacheslav Bitarov and Altai Alexander Berdnikov received eight points each.

The governor of St. Petersburg, Georgy Poltavchenko, also received a low rating - experts assigned him an eight-point rating.

The list also includes heads of regions who, at the time of the report, have already been dismissed or have written statements: Nikolai Merkushkin (Samara Region), Valery Shantsev (Nizhny Novgorod Region), Viktor Tolokonsky (Krasnoyarsk Territory), Ramazan Abdulatipov (Dagestan) and Igor Koshin (Nenets Autonomous county). All of them received very low scores.

The heads of the regions who scored the most points were Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, Governor of the Tula Region Alexei Dyumin and head of the YNAO Dmitry Kobylkin (19 points).

Earlier, the media reported that early this week there may be early resignations of the heads of a number of Russian regions. Among the subjects of the Federation, which, according to media reports, could fall under personnel changes were Ivanovo, Samara, Nizhny Novgorod, Murmansk, Novosibirsk, Omsk regions, the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Krasnoyarsk and Altai Territories.

The first to leave his post was the head of the Samara region, Nikolai Merkushkin, followed by the announcement of the resignation of the Nizhny Novgorod governor Valery Shantsev. They wrote letters of resignation, but did not receive confirmation from the Kremlin, the heads of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and Dagestan, Viktor Tolokonsky and Ramazan Abdulatipov. On Thursday, Putin accepted the resignation of the governor of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Igor Koshin.

On September 25, 2017, the Kommersant newspaper announced the upcoming resignation of governors in approximately 10 regions of the country, after the September elections. Among the subjects of the federation that may fall under personnel changes, Kommersant's sources listed the Ivanovo, Samara, Nizhny Novgorod, Murmansk, Novosibirsk, Omsk regions, the Nenets Autonomous Okrug (NAO), the Krasnoyarsk and Altai Territories, possibly one or two subjects in the North Caucasus . Then almost all the leaders of the regions, the newspapers included in the list, began to actively refute their upcoming resignations, but then, one after another, five governors from the list wrote a letter of resignation from their posts.

Looking at this process, I involuntarily remembered the detective novel by the English writer Agatha Christie "Ten Little Indians". This work is widely known in our country, because in the days of the USSR the most popular film by the famous domestic film director S. Govorukhin was shot on it. According to the plot, ten people are invited to the Negro Island under various pretexts. Once in the castle on the island, the guests gather in the hall and hear the death sentence recorded on the record for each of them. An unknown voice accuses the guests of the island of committing murders. On the table are black figurines of negro children, in each bedroom there is a rhyme on the wall from a children's counting rhyme. “Ten blacks decided to dine, one of them suddenly choked, and there were nine left of them” - the first verse from the counting. The first to die on the island is a guest poisoned by poison in a glass of wine. Further, one by one, exactly in accordance with the text of the children's counting about 10 blacks, guests of the island die. A man dies - the figure of a black child disappears from the table. Involuntarily, I repeat, I had a feeling that the current campaign on the resignations of 10 governors is similar to Govorukhin's film. As if in a movie, a picture appeared in the mind in which, in some large room in the Kremlin, there is a table with figures of 10 negro governors who are removed from the table after the resignation by people with masks on their faces. To date, the names of 5 out of 10 leaders of the regions of the country who have left their seats are already known, five figures have been removed from the board. As of October 1, 2017, five more pieces on the board remained unremoved.

Of course, any comparison is lame by definition, but obviously that desperate struggle of influence groups now at the level of high Kremlin offices for control over this or that region is worthy of the pen of the famous English detective writer. Under the Kremlin carpet, events are now taking place that could provide material for writing a new big novel for the queen of detectives. It is on this side of the situation that I would like to discuss here with you, dear readers.

So. When it seemed that the issue had been completely resolved and it was worth eating popcorn, just waiting for the continuation of the banquet with the planned resignations of the governors on the list, suddenly list number 2 appeared. On September 29, 2017, Minchenko Consulting published another study as part of the Politburo 2.0 project , denoting a slightly different circle of regional heads who may soon be dismissed. Of those who have already left the post this week or announced their imminent resignation, in the "red" zone of the rating were Valery Shantsev (former governor of the Nizhny Novgorod region), Nikolai Merkushkin (Samara region), Ramazan Abdulatipov (Dagestan), Viktor Tolokonsky (Krasnoyarsk Territory ), Igor Koshin (Nenets Autonomous Okrug).
In addition, according to a study by Yevgeny Minchenko and his colleagues, 11 more figures were at risk. Among them - Svetlana Orlova (Vladimir Region), Pavel Konkov (Ivanovo Region), Alexei Orlov (Kalmykia), Vyacheslav Bitarov (North Ossetia), Alexander Berdnikov (Republic of Altai), Alexander Karlin (Altai Territory), Viktor Nazarov (Omsk Region) , Vladimir Gorodetsky (Novosibirsk Region), Vladimir Miklushevsky (Primorsky Territory), Georgy Poltavchenko (St. Petersburg), Marina Kovtun (Murmansk Region). The number of "negroes" has increased significantly.

According to political analysts, following the wave of appointments and reappointments in 2016 and 2017, four influence groups were among their main beneficiaries. Firstly, the coalition of Sergei Chemezov (Rostec), Viktor Zolotov (head of the National Guard), Yuri Chaika (Russian Prosecutor General), Anton Vaino (head of the presidential administration of the Russian Federation) and Sergei Ivanov (special presidential envoy for ecology and transport); secondly, the group of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and his allies; thirdly, the group of Sergei Sobyanin; fourthly, the group of State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin.
“The presence of our own personnel bench is becoming, along with the project and ideological resource, one of the most important resources of the elite groups. And the success of the recommended appointees turns into one of the most important criteria for assessing the members of the Politburo 2.0 by the President of the Russian Federation. The victims of resignations in 2016-2017 were the heads of regions who do not have support within the Politburo 2.0 or who have lost it for one reason or another. It seems that this trend will continue in the future," Minchenko Consulting experts summarize.

Most likely, the authors of the report know their business and their conclusions are well founded. But we cannot fail to note that the two lists, despite a certain similarity, still differ from each other. For example, the Head of Kalmykia, who was not included in the list number one, got into the list number 2. Upon learning that he was on the verge of leaving a high post, according to the website of the Stepnaya Mozaika newspaper, he was simply dumbfounded. The author of an article in a newspaper close to Orlov directly accused Minchenko and his company of putting Orlov on the list for a bribe given to them by Ilyumzhinov along with a prominent Kalmyk businessman, Shondzhiev. Judging by such statements, Orlov’s entourage is generally divorced from the realities of life in modern Russia, they apparently continue to live in the 90s under President Yeltsin and under the omnipotence of Boris Berezovsky, in the realm of lawlessness and endemic corruption, when anything was bought and sold for money .

But why then did list number 2 appear? Why was the list of governors for relegation replenished with additional regions? The answer is most likely very simple. We began to clean up the governors' corps and came to the conclusion that since we are already solving problems in problem areas and weak governors, then why delay the decision on those regions in which the resignation of governors is also overdue. They will need to be changed in any case and in the very near future. what then is a cat by the tail? Resign the governors in these regions and start a new work cycle in them. And these resignations had to be further substantiated. Explain to the public the inclusion in the list of additional territories. Why, for example, Kalmykia was included? Because Orlov has generally the lowest rating among all governors. Etc. and so on.

Such are the "Ten Little Indians" in the Russian way.

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"Kremlin rating" updated

The Center for the Development of Regional Policy released the first in 2017 rating of the heads of regions of the Russian Federation. Experts predict at least eight resignations - and in the very near future.

The Kremlin rating ranks governors twice a year. It is based on surveys of more than a hundred leading experts in the field of regional politics, media statistics, data from special services on the level of calm in the regions, and economic indicators. Insider information about the personality of the governor is especially appreciated: relations with the Presidential Administration, the Russian Orthodox Church, the FIG, etc.

The rather high accuracy of the Center's experts' predictions can be confirmed at least based on the results of the previous, autumn issue of the Kremlin Rating. Then, having analyzed the activities of the governors, the center's experts predicted changes in the composition of the regional authorities almost unmistakably. The new rating of the heads of Russian regions also allows us to make assumptions about the upcoming resignations - even before the end of May.

Until the end of May, eight heads of the subjects of the federation will leave their posts (voluntarily or forcibly), experts from the Center for the Development of Regional Policy believe. The resignations will not end there, the governors will continue to resign. This contradicts earlier statements that the wave of resignations has ended, but is already confirmed by practice (the resignation and subsequent detention of the head of the Republic of Mari El Leonid Markelova).

There is no need to think, however, that everyone will certainly be fired and imprisoned: the “planned replacement of regional chiefs according to the “age” indicator - at the age of 60+, – indicate the authors of the rating, – as well as those who did not find a common language with the new Kremlin team of domestic policy curators". It is expected that on the eve of the elections, the Kremlin will set certain operational (mobilization) tasks for the governors. And those heads of regions who will not be able to effectively solve these problems will be at risk.

Under the threat of resignation, “weak links” are those who could not secure a personal electoral rating for themselves, are not able to influence the situation in the region, have not found a common language with local elites, or those governors against whom protest moods are growing.

Resigned, and a week later arrested Leonid Markelov was on the list of potential candidates for exit - in the rating he is called one of the most unpopular governors. Actually, he falls under almost all of the parameters listed above: bad sociology (fresh, as of the beginning of 2017), conflict with the presidential plenipotentiary Mikhail Babich,

Let us note, however, that if the experts guessed right with Markelov's resignation, then his detention, apparently, could not have been foreseen by anyone except the most well-informed persons. “The appointment of Markelov as a senator is a clear step towards reconciliation with the security forces, because members of the Federation Council are guaranteed immunity from persecution”, - experts of the Center noted. But, as is already known, the further development of events turned out to be by no means cloudless for the ex-governor. But with the forecast made back in the fall about the resignation of the head of Udmurtia Alexandra Solovieva Kremlin rating experts were not mistaken.

So, the bullseye rate is high enough to beg the question: so who's on the exit list?

This spring, the governor of the Samara region may go into resignation Nikolay Merkushkin and the head of the Primorsky Territory Vladimir Miklushevsky. The authors of the rating believe that both “poorly control the situation on the territory, thousands of rallies are held in regional capitals”. In addition, both governors have fairly strong opponents. Merkushkin has this ex-governor Vladimir Artyakov and large FIGs (Rostec, Volgapromgaz, Novatek), Miklushevsky has a group of plenipotentiary Trutnev and “local elites loyal to ex-mayor Vladimir Nikolaev”, the experts point out. With regard to Nikolaev, by the way, their forecast is quite optimistic: it is assumed that he "may soon regain control over the City Duma of Vladivostok".

Electoral sentiment in the region can also seriously affect the fate of at least four governors. Low rating among voters may cause the resignation of the head of the Kursk region Alexandra Mikhailova(by the way, out of his 65 years he has been in power for 16), the governor of the Khabarovsk Territory Vyacheslav Shport(in 2016, United Russia received only 37% of the vote in the parliamentary elections, and they say that this is still an “improved” figure), Governor of the Murmansk Region Marina Kovtun(Until now, it was supported by Norilsk Nickel, but, presumably, the company is leaving the region, which means that Kovtun is left without patronage). Finally, the governor of St. Petersburg may resign Georgy Poltavchenko, its "shares" fell sharply due to a number of reasons - from low performance in the Duma elections in 2016 and the scandal with the transfer of St. Isaac's Cathedral to the Russian Orthodox Church to an unauthorized rally on March 26, which the governor failed to "stop".

Governor of the Oryol region Vadim Potomsky it seems that he does not cause any complaints, but he can be replaced by a more suitable candidate because of his party affiliation, the Center believes. The governor of the Oryol region is a communist, which means that in the upcoming elections he will support the candidate from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, the authors of the Kremlin rating believe: “It would be logical to assume an option with his quick replacement”. Moreover, Potomsky took the chair of the governor thanks to certain agreements - after he almost defeated the United Russia candidate, the current governor, in the Bryansk region Nikolai Denin. But now, after leaving the Presidential Administration Viacheslav Volodin, “the agreement with Potomsky has actually been nullified”, the experts write.

And finally, another candidate who also fits several negative criteria at once is the governor of the Nizhny Novgorod region. Valery Shantsev. Shantsev is 69 years old and is believed to be "lost control of the region", could not "not only to win, but also to establish a dialogue with his political opponent, the ex-mayor of Nizhny Novgorod Oleg Sorokin", – note the authors of the rating. They name the newly appointed lieutenant governor as a likely replacement. Evgenia Lyulina.

Miklushevsky, Shport, Mikhailov, Kovtun, Shantsev, Potomsky, Merkushkin and Poltavchenko have a rating of only 1 point out of five. Twelve more heads of regions follow with a minimum margin from the named candidates for departure. All of them, according to the authors of the rating, may also face resignation - if not in the coming months, but before the end of the year. The dozen "losers" include: the head of Dagestan Ramazan Abdulatipov(perhaps he will simply be dismissed due to age, 71), Governor of the Ivanovo Region Pavel Konkov, head of the Kemerovo region Aman Tuleev(73 years old), governor of the Smolensk region Alexey Ostrovsky, head of Yakutia Egor Borisov, head of Khakassia Viktor Zimin, Governor of the Krasnodar Territory Veniamin Kondratiev, Governor of the Volgograd Region Andrey Bocharov, head of the Pskov region Andrey Turchak and Acting Governor of Sevastopol Dmitry Ovsyannikov.

Three is also a satisfactory rating ...

President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov the authors of the rating call it a "three-year-old" - although earlier he was in the first lines of conditional "excellent students". The reason for the downgrade is clear: it is the policy of federalization and attempts to increase the sovereignty of Tatarstan, the authors of the rating believe, citing the conflict between Minnikhanov and Dmitry Medvedev and the government of the Russian Federation regarding the distribution of financial flows (the federal center takes money from donor regions, Minnikhanov believes). One can also recall the demonstrative refusal of the Tatarstan authorities to hold a rally in honor of the annexation of Crimea to Russia. All in all, it can become the reason for replacing the “inconvenient” and too independent Minnikhanov with a more flexible candidate.

More than two dozen governors have also been named “Troechniks”.

Made it to the "good guys"

The list of those whose indicators have gone down sharply is set off by governors who have managed to sharply improve their positions. For example, the Belgorod governor Evgeny Savchenko in the autumn “Kremlin rating” he was called a loser, who will almost be dismissed .... However, at the moment Savchenko has clearly pulled himself up - or he has been “pulled up”. The reason is the upcoming elections: “Given that Savchenko has always been among the “strong business executives” and had a high level of support from the population, it is logical to assume that he will once again receive a good result, which means that he will improve his positions in front of the Kremlin for the next six months ".

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