It has taken Dmitry Medvedev two weeks to form new a government cabinet since he on the 7 May formally was appointed as the country’s Prime Minister. The new premier himself explains the long waiting time with the big number of new faces in the government. In a meeting with Putin today, Medvedev thanked the President for “such an attentive relation to the candidates”, a transcript reads. Ahead of today’s meeting, Putin had held meetings with all the 28 people proposed by Medvedev. About two thirds of the ministers are new names, people who previously have not held cabinet posts, the decret signed by Putin shows.
However, all the key cabinet posts remain in the hands of people well known either from the former government or from the presidential administration. Among the ministers, who remains in his posts is Sergei Lavrov, who has served as Russian Foreign Minister since 2004.
Also the seven people appointed as deputy prime ministers are well known political veterans. Igor Shuvalyov will be Medvedev’s only First Deputy PM, while Vladislav Surkov, Dmitry Kozak, Dmitry Rogozin, Arkady Dvorkovich, Olga Golodets and Aleksandr Khloponin will be regular deputy PMs.
Vladislav Surkov will operate as Medvedev’s Chief of Staff.
According to newspaper Vedomosti, Arkady Dvorkovich, the former presidential adviser, will play a key role in the new government. He will be responsible for areas such as industry, energy, transport and agriculture.
Anton Siluanov and Anatoly Serdyukov will continue as respectively Finance Minister and Defence Minister, while new Minister of Interior is Vladimir Kolokoltsev, the former leader of the Interior Department in the City of Moscow.
New Minister of Regional Development is Oleg Govorun, a former staff member of the presidential administration. New Minister of Natural Resources is Sergei Donskoy, the former deputy in the ministry.
There are only two women in the new government, Deputy PM Olga Golodets and Minister of Health Veronika Skvortsova.
