Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss

In his final press conference as Russian president, Vladimir Putin made clear yesterday that as prime minister he has no intention of playing second fiddle to his chosen successor, Dmitry Medvedev. “I have been president for eight years and worked pretty well. I won’t need to hang his portrait,” he remarked.

Putin added: “The highest executive power in the country is the Russian government, led by the premier.” One can’t imagine any of his prime ministers saying that and getting away with it during his presidency. He also made it clear he will remain prime minister throughout Medvedev’s turn in office, or for as long as “I am meeting goals that I myself have fixed.”

As if to emphasize that Putin will remain the real boss in the Kremlin, Russia’s new ambassador to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, told the Financial Times, “Putin’s role will be as strong as ever.” Closely linked with Putin, Rogozin, a well-known nationalist politician, can even sound like the bullish outgoing president. Asked in the interview about Japan’s protest this week over a Russian bomber violating the country’s airspace, Rogozin joked: “It’s been a long time since the Japanese have seen the Russians in the air. They got quite a surprise.”

Putin’s marathon press conference yesterday was vintage stuff: he was full of his usual bluster. It was all in marked contrast and tone to Medvedev, who in a speech today in Siberia talked about how he wanted to improve relations with Russia’s neighbors. So it looks like we are going to see a routine of good cop, bad cop. Some analysts wonder if Medvedev will be prepared to play a secondary role to Putin. Will a divided power system emerge? My money is on Putin and his KGB friends to retain the upper hand.