NIDS Commentary No. 83 Commencement of the New Putin Administration and its Strategy Takeyuki Hasegawa ( Research Fellow, Regional Studies Department ) NIDS Commentary No. 83 January 16, 2019 entitled “On National Goals and Strategic Introduction2018 年 May 7 日の President inauguration Objectives of the Russian Federation The Putin administration, which is now in through to 2024.”２ Its main objectives are its fourth term overall, was inaugurated in a development of the stagnating social and presidential inauguration ceremony on May economic sectors and science and 5, 2018. It is no exaggeration to say that the technology sectors, and it instructed the previous administration from 2012 to 2018 federal government led by Prime Minister was characterized by an oppositional Medvedev to achieve specific national goals relationship with the Western countries, pertaining to the development of the Russian including the expulsion of Russia from the Federation, including natural population G8 triggered by annexation of Crimea and growth, increased life expectancy, measures the Ukraine conflict, the resulting economic to fight poverty, improvement of housing sanctions on Russia, and military conditions, and guarantee of the rapid intervention in Syria, etc. introduction of digital technologies in the At a time when discussions anticipating economic and the social spheres, etc. ３ the post-Putin era １ such as about Putin However, in Russia where so-called “becoming a lame duck” and “the decline of “modernization” ４ of the social and his leadership,” etc. are taking place due to economic spheres, namely diversification the presidential term limits under the and innovation of the industrial structure, has Russian Constitution and the age of been advocated for a long time, this President Putin, this essay presents a Executive Order does not necessarily discussion of the domestic and foreign policy include any groundbreaking content. under the new administration with the focus When the first term of the second on the newly-approved policy documents administration was inaugurated in May 2012, and personnel appointments and the trends 11 executive orders were issued on the day of Kremlin core. of the inauguration ceremony. The content of the series of executive orders ranged Declaration of the “New May Order” and broadly from foreign policy to education and policy directions social and economic policy and, regarding On the day of his inauguration ceremony, military security policy, the modernization of President Putin signed an Executive Order the military using the latest equipment and 1 NIDS Commentary No. 83 development of the nuclear deterrent were in which he can run state affairs directly. The mentioned. ５ These attracted attention as background to the fact that the recent “New the Майские указы (“May Orders”) and led May Order” is focused on social and to the basic policies of the administration economic policy is that Russia is aiming to being presented to both domestic and correct the course of the policy in the foreign audiences. previous administration which had an The recent Executive Order issued on the excessive emphasis on an assertive foreign day of the inauguration ceremony was policy and military security. reported as the “New May Order,”６ and it can be concluded that it is an important Reorganization of ministries and normative document for ascertaining the agencies and young cabinet ministers characteristics of the new administration in The reorganization of ministries and conjunction with the reorganization of the agencies was implemented in a form government organs and changes to the matching the policy directions shown in this personnel appointments. In particular the Executive Order, and changes in personnel basic perception of the new administration appointments were seen. Among the various with respect to the “modernization” policy organs of federal executive power under the followed from the Medvedev administration jurisdiction of the Prime Minister, the Ministry onwards was glaringly apparent in the of Telecom and Mass Communications was statement at the beginning of the Order: reorganized into the Ministry of Digital “development of the stagnating Russian Development, Communications and Mass science and technology, society and Media, and 39-year-old Konstantin Noskov economy.” The Medvedev administration was appointed the minister. After earning a inaugurated in May 2008 was under Master Degree at the Moscow Higher School pressure to handle the Georgia war in of Economics, he worked at the Ministry of August the same year and then the Economic Development and Trade worldwide financial crisis triggered in the (2001-2008), transferred to an internal United States, and following that in the first subdivision of the federal government under term of the second Putin administration, due the Medvedev administration, and served as to the Ukraine conflict and annexation of the Director of the Department of Information Crimea and the resulting tense relations with Technologies and Communications the Western countries, intervention in Syria, (2009-2011), the Head of the Analytical etc., the priorities of military security and Center for the Government of the Russian foreign policy were much higher than social Federation, etc., so he is an expert in and economic policy based on the economic and information and “modernization” policy. Furthermore, taking communications policy. ７ Maxim Oreshkin, into consideration presidential term limits who also graduated from the Moscow Higher under the federal constitution and the age of School of Economics, has been reappointed President Putin himself, he has limited time Minister for Economic Development. He was 2 NIDS Commentary No. 83 born in 1982 and is 36 years old. ８ infrastructure and application of information Alexander Kozlov, who was newly appointed and communication technology. １２ Andrei the Minister for the Development of the Lipov (48 years old), who used to work in the Russian Far East, was born in 1981 and is Ministry of Communications and Mass Media 37 years old, and has experienced regional and is an expert in information and politics including serving as the Governor of communications policy, １３ is continuing to the Amur Region, etc. ９ Minister of serve as the Chief of the Presidential Agriculture Dmitry Patrushev is 40 years old Directorate. Furthermore, Dmitry Peskov１４ and has joined the Cabinet for the first time, (42 years old) was appointed to the newly but he is the oldest son of the Security established position of Special Council of the Russian Federation (SCRF) Representative of the President of the Secretary １０ Nikolai Patrushev (discussed Russian Federation on Digital and later), and at 32 years old was appointed the Technological Development. He is an Chair of the Board of Directors of the education and social policy expert who Russian Agricultural Bank (Rosselkhozbank). majored in the political behavior of young In addition to the State University of people at Voronezh State University, and Management, he has received training at the then led the Center for Internet Policy at the Diplomatic Academy of the Foreign Ministry Moscow State Institute of International and the FSB Academy. １１ Therefore, he Relations (MGIMO) run by the Ministry of does not seem to be a pure expert in Foreign Affairs, served as the Director of the agricultural policy. His recent promotion to Young Professionals Division of the Agency Minister of Agriculture can be regarded as for Strategic Initiatives, and served as a nothing more than a reward for the good member of the Working Group of the work of his father, Secretary Nikolai Economic Council under the President of the Patrushev, in the Putin administration, and in Russian Federation in the area of “Social relation to the series of promotions of young Policy and Human Development,” etc.１５ officials it can be interpreted as a personnel It can be concluded that the series of appointment that anticipates a post-Putin personnel appointments and reorganizations structure. of organizations were aimed at the solution In the Presidential Executive Office which of the policy issues raised in the “New May assists the President, the Presidential Order,” in particular “rapid introduction of Directorate for Application of Information digital technologies in the economic and Technology and the Development of social spheres,” but if the new administration E-Democracy was reorganized to establish intends to seriously tackle the development the Presidential Directorate for Development of Russia from a long-term perspective, of Information and Communication surely the improvement of diplomatic and Technology and Communication economic relations with the Western Infrastructure, and it was put in charge of the countries is the top priority issue. policies of the development of digital 3 NIDS Commentary No. 83 Development of National Security Office and Director of the Federal Security Council personnel and “NSC diplomacy” Service (FSB), etc.１９ In the political reforms Turning our attention to the composition of from 2000 onwards the legal status and the Security Council of the Russian authority of the SCRF were strengthened, Federation (SCRF), which is equivalent to and Secretary Patrushev actively developed the National Security Council (NSC) in travelling meetings including regional Japan and the United States, and in inspections, ２０ and meetings with NSC particular to the permanent members １６ counterparts (NSC diplomacy２１). who have voting rights