Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday reappointed Mikhail Mishustin as the country’s prime minister, Russian media reported.
Mishustin, 58, who has held the post for the past four years, tendered his resignation on Tuesday as Putin began his fifth presidential term in a glittering inauguration at the Kremlin.
Mishustin’s reappointment was widely expected by political observers, who noted that Putin valued his skills and low political profile. Mishustin, the former head of Russia’s tax service, avoided political statements and did not give media interviews during his previous tenure.
Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the lower house of parliament, said Putin had submitted Mishustin’s nomination to the State Duma, which will hold a session to consider it on Friday.
Under constitutional changes approved in 2020, the lower house approves the nomination of the prime minister, who then nominates cabinet members.
Mishustin and other technocrats in the cabinet are credited with maintaining relatively stable economic performance despite harsh Western sanctions. Most cabinet members are also expected to retain their posts and are expected to be reappointed soon.
However, the fate of Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu appeared uncertain after his top aide Timur Ivanov was arrested last month.
Ivanov, who served as deputy defence minister and was in charge of multi-billion dollar military construction projects, was arrested on bribery charges and ordered to remain in custody pending an official investigation. Ivanov’s arrest was widely interpreted as an attack on Shoigu and a possible foreshadowing of his resignation, despite his close personal ties to Putin.
