Senators were given positions and warnings

On Monday, the Federation Council (FC) held the first plenary meeting of the autumn session, during which Vice Speaker Galina Karelova ceded this post to the head of the social policy committee Inna Svyatenko, and her place was taken by the first deputy chairman of the budget and financial markets committee Elena Perminova. The chamber also reappointed Valery Zorkin as chairman of the Constitutional Court (CC) and delegated former judge of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) Mikhail Lobov to the Constitutional Court. Finally, Senator Lyudmila Narusova received a warning for traveling abroad without management approval.

Opening the autumn session, Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko recalled the high praise that was awarded to the activities of the Federation Council at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin in early August. Following the head of state, she noted Russia’s return “to the growth trajectory” – “despite external aggression, unprecedented economic pressure and harsh attempts to limit its development.”

Based on the results of the past regional elections, the composition of the Federation Council will be significantly updated, Ms. Matvienko continued. According to her preliminary estimates, 24 new senators will be delegated to the upper house (see “Kommersant” dated September 25). Some of them received certificates and badges already at the first meeting. Among the “newcomers,” the speaker especially singled out former Deputy Prime Minister and ex-head of Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin, who became a senator from the executive branch of the Zaporozhye region, as well as the ex-head of the Federal Customs Service and former presidential envoy to the Northwestern Federal District Vladimir Bulavin, delegated to the Federation Council Ivanovo governor.

“What blocks come to us! — Valentina Matvienko admired, turning to Messrs. Rogozin and Bulavin. “Such mastodons who will be very useful in the work of our Federation Council.”

Next, the upper house approved the transition of Vice-Speaker Galina Karelova (Voronezh region), who had held this post since 2014, to the position of first deputy chairman of the Federation Council Committee on federal structure, regional policy, local self-government and Northern affairs. As speaker Matvienko explained, Senator Karelova went for the “demotion” on her own initiative: “She said: we need to change, so that new faces appear, to rejuvenate the composition of the governing bodies.”

The vacant post was taken by the head of the Committee on Social Policy, Inna Svyatenko (Moscow), and in her place was appointed the first deputy chairman of the Committee on the Budget and Financial Markets, Elena Perminova (Kurgan Region). In addition, the first deputy chairman of the committee on defense and security, Vladimir Kozhin (Moscow), moved to the position of deputy chairman of the committee on constitutional legislation and state building. His place, in turn, was taken by Vladimir Bulavin.

The remaining leadership positions were retained by senators whose powers were extended following the election campaign. Thus, the constitutional committee was again headed by Andrey Klishas (Krasnoyarsk Territory), and Irina Rukavishnikova (Rostov Region) again became the first deputy chairman of the same committee.

“The decision was a foregone conclusion,” Valentina Matvienko joked about this, adding that the committee remained “in good hands.”

Senator Olga Zabralova (Moscow region) retained the position of first deputy chairman of the social committee, Vladimir Gorodetsky (Novosibirsk region) – federal, Sergei Ryabukhin (Ulyanovsk region) – budgetary, and Ivan Abramov (Amur region) and Alexey Sinitsyn (Kuzbass) – economic policy committee .

At the same meeting, senators reappointed Valery Zorkin to the post of chairman of the Constitutional Court and delegated there former ECHR judge Mikhail Lobov (see “Kommersant” dated September 25). The senators had no doubts about the competence of both candidates. Before this, at a meeting of the relevant committee, 80-year-old Mr. Zorkin admitted that he was ready to leave his post, but gratefully accepted another term. “I’m already at an age when I was preparing for everything, and I have to look at it quite prosaically,” said the head of the Constitutional Court. “And at the same time, joyfully, because heaven decreed that I live, I’m happy, my head is still working.” , it seems so to me”.

Finally, on Monday, the Federation Council’s regulations committee issued a warning to Senator from Tuva Lyudmila Narusova about the inadmissibility of traveling abroad without the consent of Valentina Matvienko. At the end of July, she flew to Istanbul, and from there to Nice, which is why she missed two plenary sessions, he said “RIA News” head of the committee Vyacheslav Timchenko. According to him, Senator Narusova has access to classified information, and therefore should not leave without warning, “especially to NATO countries during a special operation.” Ms. Narusova herself left these claims without comment.

Andrey Prah