<address class=”article-magazine article-header-magazine-top”>
Basler Zeitung, Switzerland</address>
the <small>© RIA Novosti, Grigoriy Sysoev</small>
11.02.2016
Andreas Schwander
Russian defense Minister Sergei Shoigu may become the successor of Vladimir Putin. May 9 parade on red square, devoted to the 70 anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany. This is an elaborate action broadcast on Russian television. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in the form of Russian army General, stands in an open car passing through the gate on the red square, the car stops. Shoigu is bareheaded, baptized. The camera then shows an icon on the wall of the tower. Shoigu wears a cap, then begins the parade. This scene has special significance. Sergei Shoigu — the Tibetan Buddhist.
Its origin, with whom he played and which he still to some extent a hindrance, only a part of his life. The other part — an incredibly long career apparatchik in the Kremlin, during which he managed not to seem. Although he’s only 60 years, the Kremlin wall familiar to him from the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union. However, the path to Moscow was not easy. The Tuvan people are the indigenous people living on the border with China, is alien to the Russians, which are characterized by the existence of undisguised racism against its own minorities. Method Shoigu was the fact that he has established himself as a quiet, loyal, serious figure. And even more importantly, without ambition. The British edition of the Economist sees in this regard in him a possible successor of Vladimir Putin — we are.
Bad, but not hopeless
In the beginning 90-h years Boris Yeltsin has instructed Sergei Shoigu to create the Ministry of emergency situations (MES). In Russia constantly something lights up, explodes, sinks. And local authorities usually such situations do not. Therefore there was a need for the establishment of the Central office, primarily to show that the state cares about its citizens.
Shoigu responded to the assignment with all seriousness. It creates an effective group with a bright outfit, good salaries and equipment in the style of James bond. In Arsenal after a while joined the fleet of fire fighting aircrafts, cargo aircrafts, mobile hospitals, water purification systems and helicopters. Russian know — wherever Mccoury appear in the blue-orange uniform, the situation is bad but not hopeless. And where there is some action and camera, always close and Sergei Shoigu. He is interviewed beside the Smoking ruins and bereaved widows, and believe him. Because he is still sympathetic, serious the first firefighter in the country.
He’s been doing this for 22 years. Alternate presidents and Prime Ministers — Yeltsin, Chernomyrdin, Kiriyenko, Primakov, Stepashin, Putin, Zubkov, Medvedev and others, and Shoigu remains. His work in General is not connected with politics, he said once. “I am the rescuer. I’m a rather average politician”. There is a lack of ambition, although he for many years represented in the Kremlin party “United Russia”. And still noticed him.
When it comes to increase the popularity of the grey functionary of the security services, Vladimir Putin among Russians, the Kremlin’s image-makers will probably take a sample of Sergei Shoigu. Exactly copy it they surely can’t, it would have caught my eye. But they take the image of a fireman and a bit exaggerate it. And as in the case of any exaggeration, caricature quickly get. So there is the image of Putin sitting bare-chested on horseback. The original appears more often in a suit. Fireman helmet for no image, but in cases when something is really burning. Due to its nature, in which there are restraint and understanding the present action, Sergei Shoigu for many years, is the second most popular politician after Putin’s — and probably was like that before, when nobody knew.
The outsider from St. Petersburg
People without ambition are always in demand in Russian politics. Even if it doesn’t, raging behind the Kremlin walls permanent struggle for power. The alleged constitutional transfer of power or just a power shift — always a difficult exercise. All the former leaders wanted assurances that they would not be under threat. It is important the candidates that no one have opened accounts and are not secret games of the power struggle — at least not too openly.
So, in fact, came to power Putin the outsider, which replaced the “old bear” by Yevgeny Primakov, who was first foreign Minister and Prime Minister, was fluent in Arabic and had been conducting the Foreign Ministry, the government, which feared Yeltsin’s entourage. Outsider from liberal St. Petersburg seemed less dangerous figure. How can it be wrong, even in the center of power. The political weight of Putin came from the KGB and the St. Petersburg administration, which people Yeltsin had to remove from the Kremlin, and then be put in jail and sent to exile, was completely underrated.
Unloved “Taburetkin”
In the near future may need a similar figure — the insider with no ambition, who does not regard the past. Sergei Shoigu meets these requirements. In addition, it has other advantages. He is an advocate of a tough policy, but can communicate well with other people. He had a very good relationship with former U.S. Secretary of defense Chuck Jaglom. His successor, Ashton Carter, he against Syria also finds a common language. Such a person can be very helpful when even the most stringent policies as a result of the wisdom.
What Sergei Shoigu constantly repeats that he has no political ambitions, does not mean that it has no authority in internal Russian politics. In Russian criminal structures it is called “roof”. But in vnutrikitayskoy against a good, durable roof is not hurt. Mccoury Shoigu have a good reputation, and in the Ministry of defence it is called “our man”. Attitude to his predecessor was clearly not so.
Anatoly Serdyukov, Shoigu who is younger than twelve years old, came to Moscow from St. Petersburg, he for many years was the head of a large furniture house. Before he could join the post of defense Minister, he was immediately nicknamed “Taburetkin”. But Serdyukov was familiar with figures and calculations, for which he even more disliked. In the army suffers from too much bureaucracy and Byzantine financial flows, he sought a more efficient use of funds. In addition, he managed to enter the conflict and with the defense industry, demanding lower prices, better quality and timely deliveries. The requirement that there is perceived hostility.
From bribes to rollback
To exert pressure, Serdyukov began to buy arms abroad. In Petersburg defiantly, directly in front of the headquarters of the Admiralty shipyards dropped anchor, the French helicopter carrier “Mistral” (it was later ordered by Russia, was built in France, but because of the Crimean crisis was not delivered). With many years delayed, but it was built as the flagship of the Northern fleet “Peter the Great”, which is famous for its size, but also its unreliability.
Sergei Shoigu have not abolished the reforms of his predecessor — why would he do that? They are allowed to carry out the operation in the Crimea, turned the Russian army again into an instrument of foreign policy struggle. But he does need to look less at the box office, unlike how it was done Serdyukov. “The only one in Russia is not stealing, it’s you and me,” — said in the days of Alexander II to his father, Tsar Nicholas I in the mid 1850-ies. Money has always been in Russia sleeping pill. Who doesn’t take anything, that causes suspicion.
The amount “taken” over time and with growing prosperity over the past two decades has increased. This is notable and language. 20 years ago it was called “bribe”, then “drank”, and now “rollback”. In the army and in the defense industry there are many things that can be “rolled back”. The undeniable argument is the phrase “national security”.
Since the time of Tsar Nicholas I, who also waged war in the Crimea, little has changed. Russian apparatchik who monitors financial flows, behaves like a dog, watching a butcher’s shop. Attention is attracted only when the revealed information. In the case Shoigu is a country house worth 18 million francs, built not far from Moscow in the style of a Buddhist temple. It is somehow poorly matched with his salary of 120 thousand francs. Officially the house belongs to his 23-year-old daughter, who said: “Army and society in our country — one, and as long as that happens, we are invincible”. That is, in all likelihood, it will be possible to roll back.
Suspicious honesty
Officially there is the Commission for combating corruption and constantly sheds light on the offence. Often these are people that are on the black list. The effect of the work. For a while the machine starts to act more cautiously. Although a blind eye to kickbacks remains commonplace. Corruption in Russian politics — the weak link. Untouchable people are dangerous. Therefore, they are not allowed to go upstairs.
Predecessor Shoigu, “Taburetkin”-Serdyukov was. He even wanted to resign, because his father-in-law Viktor Zubkov during a brief period was Prime Minister. And as a result created an invalid family relations. Such honesty has caused suspicion. Finally, Serdyukov was removed from office, because the service has built too few houses for the military, and in the companies belonging to the Ministry of defense, revealed a theft.
On the issue of corruption in Russia is better to close your eyes. But there is such a word as “compromising”, which if necessary, can exert pressure. And this is part of the Grand Kremlin games. One who has no ambition, but who has the power to implement certain things for others who has clear vulnerabilities — whether a big house or an unusual origin, and who can protect these weaknesses with his power, he suddenly finds himself at the top. Even if, allegedly, didn’t want to.
Sergei Shoigu is in a good position. The sign of the cross before the parade on red square, the work on burning the ruins — all this created the image of Shoigu to the Russians, entered the collective consciousness. So quickly that no one worked.
Original publication: Ein Mann ohne Ambitionen Published 09/02/2016
