Last Wednesday, on the eve of Victory Day, Vladimir Putin summoned the Presidential Council for Strategic Development and National Projects in order to assess the results, or as Putin put it, to take an inventory of the national projects. The conversation wasn't too pleasant. Its general tone is illustrated by this extract.
Vladimir Putin: "The people are not interested in abstract promises, departmental plans or schedules, or a lot of technicalities. These issues must be dealt with by us, not the citizens, who just want specific results. The result is what matters here and now, not in some distant future".
That's the general tone. Our political observer, Pavel Zarubin, will talk about the meeting in detail in his show "Moscow, Kremlin, Putin", right after VESTI: News of the Week. Here's an extract from his report.
Ministers Oreshkin, Novak, and Topilin aren't just happy, they're overjoyed. May 8th, the Kremlin, the beginning of the meeting on strategic development. However, nobody was smiling after the meeting was over. Putin demanded to turn the national projects into national measures as soon as possible.
Vladimir Putin: "Don't think that we'll have a routine chat and go attend the parade. Parades and orchestras are great but the country needs the results of your work. I ask you to not forget about that for even a second. Happy upcoming Victory Day".
Over the last few months, the president has been saying that instead of seeing published reports the people need to feel actual changes. Some of them need to be implemented immediately.
- What do the people already feel or will feel in the near future?
- The primary care setting is going to improve.
Anton Siluanov, First Deputy Prime Minister: "Each deputy prime minister, each minister that supervises the appropriate national project, sees that and is accountable to the prime minister and the president".
Putin says that all ministries must help Russian business.
Vladimir Putin: "You need to work together to give them access to the market. Don't distance yourselves from this task, don't pretend that it's not your job. I'm addressing all of you. Get rid of your ministry-specific attitude "I'll do my job and I don't care if the others are failing to keep up".
Companies from Tatarstan can be sure their interests are secured. On the sidelines, the governor managed to pat the science minister on the back join the Energy minister on a hidden bench away from prying eyes, and have a detailed conversation with a deputy prime minister obviously discussing more than just the Council meeting.
Moscow. Kremlin. Putin
