Vladimir Putin announced a new management program for participants of the SVO “Time of Heroes”

On Thursday, Vladimir Putin announced a message to the Federal Assembly, which, according to his press secretary Dmitry Peskov, is in fact his program for the March presidential elections. One of the key themes of the document was the sovereignty of Russia, which, as Mr. Putin emphasized, is now being defended by participants in a special military operation (SVO). For them, the president announced a new personnel program, “Time of Heroes,” with the help of which these people will be able to reach leading positions both in the civil service and in business. It also followed from Vladimir Putin’s words that it is precisely such Russians who should henceforth be considered the “elite” – instead of those who, in his assessment, have discredited this concept.

Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the current message will play the role of the election program of presidential candidate Vladimir Putin even before the start of the speech of the head of state. “On the one hand, it is the constitutional duty of the president to deliver a message to the Federal Assembly. This year it coincides with the presidential elections. Putin, being the current president, today also announces his message as a presidential candidate, two weeks before the presidential elections themselves. Of course, in many respects this will also be the program with which candidate Putin goes to the elections,” explained Mr. Peskov.

We recall that the Kremlin used a similar scheme in 2018: then the message was announced on March 1, 17 days before the elections, and no other official program of candidate Putin was published. According to Kommersant’s information, the same scenario (without publishing a separate election program) is being planned now. Let us note that, by law, presidential candidates nominated by political parties are required to publish their program, but for self-nominated candidates (this is the status in which Mr. Putin goes to the polls) this is not necessary.

One of the key terms of the message was “sovereignty,” which Vladimir Putin spoke about at the very beginning of his speech: “And today, when our Motherland defends its sovereignty and security, protects the lives of compatriots in Donbass and Novorossiya, the decisive role in this righteous struggle belongs to our citizens, our unity, devotion to our native country, responsibility for its destiny.”

In total, Mr. Putin used the word “sovereignty” 11 times. He spoke about it both when he noted the consolidation of political parties, and when he unveiled plans for the technological development of the economy and production.

The key defenders of sovereignty, according to the president, are the members of the Northern Military District.

And just for them, towards the end of the speech, separate news was prepared, which was preceded by a rather long and complimentary summary. Mr. Putin called the participants in the hostilities “true heroes and patriots” who “certainly will not retreat, will not let down or betray”, and it is precisely such people “who can be handed over in the future and entrusted to Russia.” “They (members of the SVO.— “Kommersant”) and should take leading positions both in the system of education and upbringing of youth, and in public associations, in state-owned companies, business, in state and municipal administration, to lead regions, enterprises, and ultimately, the largest domestic projects,” the president listed. And only after that he moved on to the main thing.

Starting March 1, Northern Military District veterans, as well as soldiers and officers who “are currently fighting in active units, will be able to apply for participation in a new personnel program, which will be called Time of Heroes.”

According to Mr. Putin, the program will be built on the same standards as the management courses at the RANEPA Higher School of Management, which is called the “school of governors,” and the “Leaders of Russia” personnel competition.

Let us remind you that the “school of governors” is a special management course, the completion of which is now, in fact, a prerequisite for everyone who wants to be included in the list of potential governors. And “Leaders of Russia” is a competition aimed at identifying the most effective managers in the country. Both projects are supervised by the internal political bloc of the presidential administration.

As Vladimir Putin admitted, the idea of ​​​​creating a new course came to his mind when he met with students participating in the SVO in St. Petersburg on January 26.

According to him, studies under this program will begin in the coming days, and the leaders of the government, the presidential administration, federal ministries and departments, heads of regions and major companies will become mentors for its participants. To participate in the program, you must have a higher education and management experience, but the military rank and position can be any. “I ask the Ministry of Defense and commanders of combat units to support the desire of soldiers and officers to try their hand at the new personnel program, to provide for them the opportunity to apply for participation and go to full-time training,” the president added.

At the same time, by announcing such a decision, Mr. Putin actually contrasted the participants of the SVO with a certain current elite, without, however, specifying who exactly he had in mind. He only mentioned that “the word ‘elite’ has largely discredited itself.” “Those who, having no merit to society, consider themselves some kind of caste with special rights and privileges. I especially mean those who in previous years filled their pockets due to all sorts of processes in the economy of the 1990s – they are definitely not the elite,” explained Vladimir Putin. The true elite are “all those who serve Russia, workers and warriors, reliable, proven, who have proven their devotion to Russia, worthy people,” the president concluded.

Andrey Vinokurov