Senator from Moscow Inna Svyatenko was appointed vice-speaker of the Federation Council

Senator Galina Karelova left the post of vice-speaker of the Federation Council (FC), and Inna Svyatenko, chairman of the upper house social policy committee, was appointed to her place. Senators voted unanimously for Svyatenko’s appointment.

“Galina Nikolaevna and I met and discussed how we would proceed. This was her proposal, she said: it is necessary to change so that new faces appear, to rejuvenate the composition of the Federation Council and governing bodies. This is our common decision with her that Galina Nikolaevna will go to work on the federal structure committee as first deputy,” said Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matvienko.

The Chairman of the Federation Council recalled that Karelova served “almost two terms” as vice-speaker of the upper house. Matvienko called the senator’s work very effective and productive. In particular, Karelova led the council on the development of the Far East, the Arctic and Antarctic, and is the chairman of the Council of the Eurasian Women’s Forum. Matvienko clarified that Karelova is already actively preparing for the fourth women’s forum.

“Regardless of their position, personnel such as Galina Nikolaevna Karelova are in demand, they are always in place, they are always at work,” noted the speaker of the Federation Council, emphasizing that Karelova remains in the Federation Council and that all initiatives implemented under her leadership will be continued .

Karelova responded by thanking her colleagues for their joint work and separately expressing her gratitude to Matvienko. Senator Tatyana Sakharova joined the warm words. She noted Karelova’s professionalism and concern. “All questions are always aimed at people and at people. It’s always a great honor to work with such a mentor,” said Sakharova.

Then Matvienko proposed electing Inna Svyatenko to the post of Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council. According to her, the chamber council discussed the candidacy of the senator from Moscow and unanimously supported it. The Federation Council decided to elect Svyatenko as vice-speaker unanimously: her candidacy was supported by 149 members of the upper house of parliament (83.7% of the total number of senators).

“Galina Nikolaevna set the bar very high, we will have to work hard,” Matvienko addressed Svyatenko after the voting results. After this, the new deputy chairman of the Federation Council took a seat among other vice-speakers to the right of Matvienko.

The fact that Svyatenko will replace Karelova as vice speaker of the Federation Council was previously reported RBC. According to the publication, the personnel changes are explained by “simply an update.”

Inna Svyatenko is a senator from Moscow, representing the Moscow City Duma, while at the same time being a deputy of the capital’s parliament from Kapotnya. She was sent to the Federation Council in 2019. Before that, since 2001, she was a deputy of the Moscow City Duma of several convocations. Also from 1989 to 2001, she served in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

Galina Karelova represents the governor of the Voronezh region in the Federation Council. The newly elected head of the region, Alexander Gusev, extended her powers as his representative in the elections on September 10.

The senator has been working in the upper house since 2014, from the same moment she became deputy speaker. In this position, Karelova coordinated the work of the Federation Council Committee on Social Policy, as well as the Committee on Federal Structure, Regional Policy, Local Government and Northern Affairs. In addition, she headed the council for the development of the Far East, the Arctic and Antarctic, the council for regional healthcare, etc.

Before her appointment, Karelov worked for different years as a State Duma deputy, first deputy chairman of the Duma Committee on Labor, Social Policy and Veterans Affairs, as well as Deputy Prime Minister of the Government.