Mikhail Mishustin, a former tax official little known both outside and even within Russian political circles, is set to be the nation’s new prime minister, having on Thursday morning received the backing of the governing party.
Mishustin has been hand-picked by President Vladimir Putin to oversee a new government, charged with implementing a range of constitutional reforms that could see the Russian president remain in power in some form after his term of office expires in 2024.
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Wednesday’s shock resignation of Russia’s entire government followed Putin’s calls for widespread reforms to Russia’s power structures, with former Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev saying the president deserved to have the type of government he wanted while the reforms were pushed through.
Medvedev will remain in office until his successor formally takes over, when the long-standing Putin ally will begin a new role in charge of defence and security in Russia’s highly influential Security Council.