There are three factions;
THE LIBERALS
led by Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref and Finance Minister Aleksei Kudrin. More interventionist than Western liberalism. Generally comprised of economists and former businesspeople. The weakest of the three
THE TECHNOCRATS
Led by First Deputy Prime Minister and Gazprom Chairan Dmitry Medvedev and Gazprom president, Aleksei Miller. Derives it's power from it's control of Gazprom.
THE SILOVIKI (force structure)
a reference to the armed services, law enforcement bodies, and intelligence agencies that wield the coercive power of the state.
Core members.
Igor Sechin, deputy head of the presidential administration, Vikro Ivanov, an adviser to the president, and Nikolai Patrushev, director of the the FSB. Current and former intelligence officers from St. Petersburg.
Sergei Bogdanchikov, president of state owned oil giant Rosneft has never served in the force structure
United by outlook and interests than by background. Share similar political views, pursue a common policy agenda, and seek joint control over economic assets.
It is a hierarchy of a series of concentric circles.
Secondary members
include Bogdanchikov and Vikro Cherdesov, Putin's drug czar.
Tertiary level
Many reached positions after the Yukos affair. Justice Minister, Vladimir Ustinov, was prosecutor general who pursued Khodorkovsky's case, and was once associated with the Yelsin-era "family."
----------------
Spoils available: oil and gas revenues, substantial bribes, control over major enterprises and political power.
A long standing feud between Patrushev and Cherkesov spilled onto the front pages of the Russian press in late 2004.
They control more than 10 agencies
Force structure - law enforcement, intelligence services, and the armed forces.
Energy Agency, Customs Services, Federal Property Fund, Financial Monitoring Service. Significant regulatory power in key industries.
Control of Rosneft - Bogdanchikov is president, Sechin is chairman, huge source of income
Top positions in two military-industrial giants - Rosoboronexport and Almaz-Antie.
Aeroflot
Russian Railroads
Banking; Vneshekonombank, Mezhprombank, and Rossiya Bank.
State owned company managing the country's ports.
Gazprom - four VP's tied to Ivanov, Sechin and Patrushev
In Gref's agency, The Agency for State Reserves
In Kudrin's Ministry, Service for Financial Monitoring.
YUKOS production subsidiary Yuganskneftegaz went on the auction block. Rosneft, via a front company, bought it for 9.3 billion. The source, Vneshekonombank. Yuri Zaostrovtsev, a siloviki heavyweight is first deputy chair of the bank's board.
They are tied together by:
Consolidation of political and economic power within a highly centralized state
Buttressed by large, well-financed security and defense structures.
The official of these agencies deserve special status in the government and economy as they carry out the work of state building project.
Law and order and stability are much higher priorities than democratic process or an active civil society.
Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, close to the core group but remains independent in his thinking. Promoted to deputy prie minister which made him a target.
CORE BELIEFS
Statism is an economic policy program.
A strong state should play a decisive role in the country's economic life.
Strategic sectors should not be in private hands,
Domestic producers should be protected from the forces of globalization.
The oligarchs should be eliminated as a class.
-----------------------------
They are economic nationalists
The country's natural resources belong to the Russian people and that, in the people's name, the state should eventually control every aspect of their exploitation.
In the meantime, they favor limiting foreign investment in the natural resources sectors and the imposition of steep royalties.
--------------------------------
Promote the restoration of Russia's greatness on the international stage.
The USA and NATO represent an external threat, actively undermine Russia's sovereignty and ultimately would like to force the collapse of the Russian state.
Russia should regain the respect of the Soviet Union by maintaining a strong army and state of the art military capabilities.
Former soviet states should be reintegrated with Russia to the greatest extent possible.
---------------------------------
Endorse the nationalistic, xenophobic, an sometimes anti-semitic views of the most conservative elements within the Russian Orthodox Church.
Actively promotes the role of the church in public life
Would like to impose stringent restriction on immigration.
Aleksei Mordashev of Severstal and Vladimir Bogdanov of Surgutneftegaz as "good" oligarchs - "they're Russians." "All Jews are traitors, oriented toward the West. That's how it's always been".
--------------------
Intent on controlling major economic resources. To use economic power to further their policy goals and to safeguard their continued dominance of Russian political life.
To control as much of Russia's energy revenue as possible,
Rosneft and other siloviki controlled companies will expand by strategic acquisition of smaller oil and gas firms.
A preference for a single state controlled energy giant, incorporating all of Russia's major oil, gas and electricity companies into one holding.
Control Russia's military-industrial complex, and they will continue to promote increased arms sales aggressively.
In the presidency, they will promote someone who will protect their interests and extend their influence.
Durable alliance with China causes siloviki anxiety, but are considered palatable partner in the short term.
Strengthening the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
Promote ties with Iran.
Within the former Soviet space, the seek to strengthen economic and political integration, especially vis a vis Ukraine and Georgia.
----------------------
US involvement in Russian politics will backfire
Attacks on Putin and his policies strengthen the siloviki, confirms their world view.
No comments:
Post a Comment