Putin’s New Cabinet Has Many Familiar Faces

By Anatoly Medetsky

The St. Petersburg Times

Published: May 23, 2012 (Issue # 1709)

Members of the Cabinet, appointed Monday by President Vladimir Putin, from top left: Shuvalov, Kozak, Surkov, Rogozin, Khloponin, Dvorkovich, Golodets, Abyzov, Belousov, Donskoi, Fyodorov, Govorun, Ishayev, Kolokoltsev, Konovalev, Lavrov, Livanov, Manturov, Medinsky, Mutko, Nikiforov, Novak, Puchkov, Serdyukov, Siluanov, Skvortsova, Sokolov and Topilin.

MOSCOW President Vladimir Putin on Monday appointed a Cabinet that has a strikingly familiar look.

Most ministers held on to their seats, received promotions from deputy ministers or came over from the Kremlin.

The shuffle cements Putins grip on power while fulfilling a promise by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev that three-fourths of the faces would be new.

Igor Shuvalov will be the second-in-command in the Cabinet, retaining the rank of first deputy prime minister.

He will be the only first deputy prime minister: Putin named no replacement for the other person with this rank in the previous Cabinet, Viktor Zubkov.

In other organizational changes, the Health and Social Development Ministry will be split in two, the Sports Ministry lost its tourist portfolio, and a new ministry was created to develop the Far East.

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Putin’s New Cabinet Has Many Familiar Faces