The Kremlin has devised a plan of counteracting the growing tide of protest actions against replacing social benefits with money payments

Thursday, February 2, 2023

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The Kremlin has devised a plan of counteracting the growing tide of protest actions against replacing social benefits with money payments, Nezavisimaya Gazeta reported. According to the report citing Kremlin and government sources, no officials are to be dismissed, no force is to be used against the protesters, and no big concessions are to be made to them either. When the public protests reached mass proportions, Prime Minister Fradkov said he was ready to resign. But he was told that this option would not be even discussed. The officials in the presidential administration are aware that the protest movement will be mounting at least until spring, expanding not only in area but also in its social base. In this situation not only the Fradkov cabinet but its successor may be considered doomed. That's why the prospect of Fradkov's resignation did not alarm lower house speaker Boris Gryzlov, whom the State Duma majority wants to make a candidate for the key post in the government, according to a high-ranking source at the United Russia party. Since the next prime minister could theoretically become President Vladimir Putin's successor, accepting the post of prime minister now would obviously be a false start for Gryzlov. The Kremlin tried to shift the responsibility for the failure of the reform to Russia's regional governors, but the governors unexpectedly switched to the counteroffensive and put the blame on Moscow. The boldest of them were the recently elected heads of the regions who face no threat of retirement in the near future. The presidential administration displayed a very cautious attitude to the desire of the Communist Party (KPRF) and its left-wing allies to head the wave of protests. It was decided to counterbalance communist party leader Gennady Zyuganov by calling to action more loyal left-wing organizations like the All-Russia Communist Party of Future (VKPB), which was registered recently, and other parties acting under the patronage of Gennady Semigin. Kremlin officials also decided to collect information about the protest actions and to concentrate on issuing counter-propaganda.