Moscow tightens control over Crimea – “heavyweight” Kozak enters the scene
The Russian government has created a commission under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak, which will deal with issues of socio-economic development of Crimea and Sevastopol.
The commission was formed to replace the liquidated Ministry of Crimean Affairs, which was headed by Oleg Savelyev.
Experts interviewed by PolitNavigator believe that this is about strengthening Moscow’s control over the peninsula. It is interesting that Moscow analysts are already openly talking about Sergei Aksenov’s conflict with the federal center.
Political scientists call Dmitry Kozak a “heavyweight” and a person who has experience in managing “complex regions.” Now he has to solve problems around Simferopol and Sevastopol.
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“Oleg Savelyev, who headed the Ministry of Crimea, did an excellent job of integrating the region into the Russian legislative and political space. Now, outside the framework of the transition period, the question of managing this region arises, which is quite complex - and because it is located in virtually the front-line zone, and the Ukrainian government makes territorial claims to Crimea and Sevastopol, carries out a policy of state terrorism, sends all sorts of gangs and terrorists there .
The second problem in Sevastopol is that there is a very strong regional parliament, headed by federal-level politician Alexei Chaly. There is a semi-conflict between the parliament and the head of the regional executive power. In these conditions, we need some kind of heavyweight politician who could sort this out.
Oleg Savelyev is an excellent administrator, but he is not a heavyweight like Dmitry Kozak. That's why he was appointed to this position. It is very important that there are no conflicts between the executive and legislative branches.
And in Crimea, there is also a conflict between the local regional authorities represented by Aksenov and the federal authorities. A heavyweight politician should also do this,” political scientist Sergei Markov told PolitNavigator.
Kozak has valuable experience in leading “difficult” regions, says political scientist Sergei Mikheev. From 2004 to 2007, the official was the plenipotentiary representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Southern Federal District, and from 2007 to 2008 he headed the Ministry of Regional Development of the Russian Federation.
“Kozak is an experienced official at the highest federal level. He has experience working in the Caucasus and other regions of the Russian Federation. I think that he was appointed as a person who can eliminate all the problems that arise in the relations of Crimea with Moscow and within Crimea. It should become a more effective link between Simferopol and Moscow. It is clear that someone had to exercise this control. When the Ministry for Crimean Affairs was liquidated, it became clear that in some other form someone would still be involved in Crimean affairs,” explains Mikheev.
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