The boss of the Russian taxman, Mikhaïl Michoustine, was chosen to take the head of the government.
–
Thehe President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday appointed the new head of the Russian tax administration, Mikhaïl Michoustine, unknown to the general public, according to the Kremlin.
Mr. Poutine “presented the candidacy of Mr. Michoustine to the Duma”, lower house of Parliament which must now validate it, according to a press release from the presidency. The appointment comes just after the surprise announcement of the resignation of the almost eight-year-old head of government, Dmitry Medvedev, following a speech by the Russian president announcing constitutional reforms.
In post at the head of the Federal Tax Service since 2010, Mr. Michoustine, a bald man with a thick face, is an unexpected appointment. He nevertheless has a reputation for being an effective senior public servant.
It has put in place “the best tax collection system in the world,” said state television Rossiya-24.
► Surprise resignation of the Russian government
Michoustine made no immediate statement, but the Kremlin released photos of the man in a dark suit, one-on-one with Vladimir Putin. During his terms in office from 2000 to 2008, the Russian president had already appointed government officials who were little known to the public, like Mikhail Fradkov in 2004, who was then ambassador to the European Union.
– .
