The Vertical of Putin's Power

In a month and a half, it will be twelve years since the name of Vladimir Putin was loudly heard in Russia and abroad. Let's see what is characteristic of the era of his rule and what the Russian state has come to?

Two of Russia

Before talking about which vertical power V.Putin built as the president of the Russian Federation and what political reforms he had made, we should remember what Russia represented Boris Yeltsin.

At one time, Yeltsin spent a lot of democratic reforms and reforms, the top of which was the new Constitution. Of course, by and large it was very similar to the Constitution of the United States, which, in principle, was written off. In the Russian government, completely new posts - vice-president and secretary of state, replacing the foreign minister. A.Rutskoi became the first vice-president, and G.Burbulis became the state secretary.

Further in Russia there was a bicameral parliament. In the Upper House it - the Federation Council - was met by popularly elected governors from 89 constituent entities of the Federation. The governors had practically unlimited powers, deputy immunity. Elected to the post of governor on the ground, directly residents of every Russian region.

Thus, the vertical of power was directed from the top down, from the center to the province, and therefore very soon Russia began to resemble the ancient Russian state of the times of feudal disunity. Remember the "Tale of Bygone Years" and "The Lay of Igor's Host"? Only instead of specific princes appeared gubernatorial posts, which often occupied strong and odious persons: A. Lebed, A. Tuleev, M. Yevdokimov, R. Aushev, M. Shaimiev and others.

Using great popularity among the people and possessing practically unlimited rights fixed by law, they viewed the entrusted regions almost as personal patrimonies, their own small states, and they did not intend to share their power with anyone. With great reluctance they obeyed the Center, and at times ignored the orders and directives coming in from there. Of course, only political heavyweights could afford such a thing, in the department of which there were economically developed regions with a rich industrial and natural potential, such as Yakutia. "With our supply of gold and diamonds, what is Russia to us?" This is what local leaders have repeatedly stated.

The Vertical of Putin's Power

This situation weakened the central vertical of power and became a serious threat to the integrity and security of the whole of Russia. This was well understood by the Soviet cadre scout, the KGB officer of the USSR V.Putin, who succeeded Yeltsin as Russia's president.

Putin set a goal - to preserve the Russian state as a whole and indivisible, to put an end to the federal fragmentation, "the kings on the ground." To this end, he radically reformed the structure and forms of regional subordination.

First of all, the president achieved the cancellation of the election of governors - they were now appointed by the main person in the state, i.e. He himself together with the Legislative Assembly of the subject of the Federation.

The reform of the Upper Chamber was also carried out: the meetings of the governors were abolished there. They were replaced by representatives of each region. This lowered the significance of both the Federation Council itself and the governors.

To strengthen presidential control on the ground, Russia was divided into seven federal districts. At the head of each became a presidential envoy appointed by Putin. Thus, the head of state managed to build a rigid vertical power - the executive, under his personal control, from the established work of which very much depends in the state. Thanks to this, no serious question of vital activity of this or that region of the country is now solved without Putin's approval.

Thus, the obstinate governors were gradually pushed back from their posts, they were replaced by people loyal to the Kremlin, which the presidential envoy in each district also supervised.

Well aware that the vertical of power is a set of measures and actions that should maximize the accountability and dependence of all authorities from the leadership center, i.e. President, Putin extends the sphere of his influence to the State Duma.

At one time, she considered herself almost an independent government body in Russia and even declared impeachment to Boris Yeltsin.

To avoid the sad experience, Putin creates a new party - "United Russia" and achieves its absolute majority in the Duma. In addition, under its control, all local Legislative Assemblies of the subjects of the Russian Federation are taken.

The vertical of Putin's power was so strong that Vladimir Vladimirovich was not afraid to give up his office and the chair of President Dmitry Medvedev, his long-time associate for work in the St. Petersburg City Hall, for four years.

View from the outside

It is possible to evaluate the actions of VV Putin in different ways. Many liberals call it authoritarianism, totalitarianism, etc., and are right in their own way. And yet, from our point of view, Putin, with all his undemocratic reforms, can rightly be considered a collector of Russian land. He literally took Russia away from the repetition of the fate of the USSR.

It should also be added that according to Putin, the vertical of power is a close interaction of legislative and executive bodies, the realization of the idea of a single economic and customs space on the territory of the former USSR, the collapse of which he considers the largest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century.

All this increases the authority of Russia and Putin himself in the world, elevating him to the rank of superpower superpower.