Musical Ministerial Chairs

After his smooth reelection to a fourth term, President Vladimir Putin oversaw the appointment of a new cabinet. Only it looks less like a new government and more like a shuffling of the deck.

Of course, Dmitry Medvedev will continue to hold the reins as prime minister. And he will now have a record 10 deputy ministers to help him deliver on Putin’s promises. But, as Vedomosti wrote, the new cabinet “has not made the next six years of Putin appear any more revolutionary.”

Among the plethora of deputy ministers are many former deputy ministers who used to sit elsewhere. For example, Vitaly Mutko, who served as sports minister and curated sports as a deputy minister, has suddenly been assigned to the field of construction, while Olga Golodets, who curated social affairs, has now assumed Mutko’s former job.