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In recent days, a mayor major political drift took place in the Russian capital. Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, who has been at the head of Moscow for almost twenty years (just as our Gábor Demszky at that of Budapest), has recently come into several conflicts with President Medvedev, and what is more, he has criticized his policy in an open letter. According to some analysts he only dared to do so because Putin is standing behind him, and his criticism makes evident the tension between the two supreme leaders of Russia. However, quite surprisingly, in recent days suddenly light was thrown on a number of corruption cases of Luzhkov and his wife, the businesswoman Jelena Baturina who became the richest woman of Russia during the office of  his husband (about one such case we have also reported here and here), on his environmentally destructive developments, and on his neglectful actions during the summer wildfires around Moscow. On September 28 Medvedev dismissed Luzhkov from his office – as the Mayor of Moscow is not elected, but appointed by the President –, and he also had to leave the United Russia party.


Three days after the decapitation of the Big Boyar, yesterday morning President Dmitri Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin discussed the country’s socio-economic situation on a personal meeting – writes the photo report of Президент России, the Kremlin’s official presidential site. They have raised, among others, a first consultation of the United Russia party which could create a proposal list of the candidates for Mayor of Moscow.


The meeting took place in an intimate environment. The work breakfast of Russian black bread – composed as an elegant still-life and carefully turned towards the camera – and homemade milk eloquently proves the indissoluble unity of the President and the Prime Minister with the people, with the party and of course with each other. Public and common drinking of milk and soft drinks has been a part of the national anti-alcohol campaign of the two presidents anyway.


President Medvedev makes the meeting more intimate with some background music. According to some well-informed, Ronnie James Dio is his most recent favorite. Our expert readers will tell whether the sound system is worthy of the prestige of the Kremlin.


Nevertheless, we should not completely write off Luzhkov. There will be presidential elections in 2012 where Putin can already take part after the obligatorily omitted four years. And heavy-handed executers without scruples will always be needed in the Kremlin.