The apparatus of the Duma faction of “United Russia” will have a new leader

As Kommersant learned from sources in United Russia (UR) and the lower house of parliament, the apparatus of the party faction in the State Duma will soon change its leader. Now this position is occupied by Maxim Zhavoronkov, combining it with the post of first deputy head of the central executive committee of United Russia. As Kommersant’s interlocutors explain, in connection with the 2024 presidential campaign starting in December, Mr. Zhavoronkov will need to focus on the party component of his work.

A source in the party told Kommersant about the upcoming departure of Maxim Zhavoronkov from the apparatus of the Duma faction, and a source in the Duma confirmed this information. According to them, there is no exact date for Mr. Zhavoronkov’s resignation: it could happen either in the coming days or within a month.

Since April 2021, Maxim Zhavoronkov has combined two high positions in the party at once – first deputy head of the central executive committee of United Russia and head of the United Russia apparatus in the Duma. It is in order to focus on his first job that the party member will leave his post in parliament, Kommersant’s interlocutors explain. According to one of them, as the first deputy head of the executive committee, Mr. Zhavoronkov oversees issues of the legal and organizational blocks, as well as the development of the United Russia digital ecosystem. Such a personnel decision is needed in connection with the upcoming presidential campaign, the source adds.

Let us remind you that the presidential elections will be held in March 2024, and the election campaign will officially start in mid-December 2023. United Russia will traditionally bear a heavy burden during this campaign. As Kommersant previously reported, by the end of 2023 the party should increase its electoral base to 33 million people, 90% of whom should be real supporters of United Russia and President Vladimir Putin. The party plans to attract at least 90% of these loyal supporters to the 2024 elections. According to the source, all EP digital products are being reconfigured for this task. And these are precisely the areas that Maxim Zhavoronkov oversees in the executive committee.

Let us note that Mr. Zhavoronkov has been working for a long time with the current Secretary of the General Council of United Russia, Andrei Turchak. From 2003 to 2009, he held various management positions in the Leninets holding, whose management included Mr. Turchak. Then, when the latter was appointed governor of the Pskov region, Maxim Zhavoronkov became his deputy and chief of staff of the regional administration. They also came to the leadership of United Russia together: in 2017, Andrei Turchak became secretary of the party’s general council, and his team received positions in the central executive committee. Then the executive committee was headed by Alexander Borisov (now a State Duma deputy), and Maxim Zhavoronkov became his first deputy and head of organizational management. In April 2021, Mr. Zhavoronkov took the post of head of the apparatus of the Duma faction of United Russia, retaining his position in the executive committee. He retained it after the 2021 Duma elections, when the central executive committee was headed by Alexander Sidyakin. Let us recall that until October 7, 2021, the United Russia Duma faction was led by Sergei Neverov, and then by Vladimir Vasiliev.

The head of the Civil Society Development Foundation, Konstantin Kostin, believes that at one time the arrival of Maxim Zhavoronkov in the Duma apparatus of the United Russia faction was necessary to strengthen his interaction with the central bodies of the party. Now the system has been built, so there is no urgent need to combine two positions. “And this is definitely not a demotion. Because the position of the first deputy head of the executive committee, which Maxim Zhavoronkov reserves for himself, is exactly comparable. Legal support for United Russia is a large and important part of the functionality of the central bodies of United Russia. In addition to the federal campaign, the party participates in regional elections at all levels, which must be accompanied from a legal point of view,” explains the expert. As for the presidential campaign, the party will definitely have its own important role in it, Mr. Kostin adds: “And there is no doubt that the resources of the electoral, organizational and legal blocs will be in demand during it. So in this regard, Maxim Zhavoronkov’s transition also looks logical.”

Andrey Vinokurov