Yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin reappointed Mikhail Mishustin as Prime Minister, after his nomination was confirmed by the lower house of the parliament.
Mishustin, a career diplomat, said he had no political ambitions before Putin chose him in 2020 to replace Dmitry Medvedev. Having never worked for the security services, he is not part of the so-called "siloviki" faction of intelligence veterans close to Putin.
Although he has not been identified, Mishustin is credited with keeping Russia's economy afloat after Kiev's allies imposed sanctions that have greatly complicated the financing of Russian business and denied access to markets for Russia's natural resources.
Before becoming prime minister, Mishustin was the head of the federal tax service for ten years, where he is credited with doubling revenues.
In October, as Russia faced increasing sanctions, Mishustin announced that Moscow would simplify procedures for citizens and companies from 25 "friendly" countries - including China, India, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Kazakhstan and Belarus - to invest in Russia.
In a dangerous moment for Putin in June of last year, Mishustin said that Russia must rally around the president because the rebellion of the mercenaries who fought in Ukraine at the time was a "challenge to stability".
He gives the impression of a confident person skilled in communication, and is often shown on television answering Putin's sharp questions about government tasks and deadlines.
In the annual report to the parliament in April 2024, Mishustin said that his government was facing "very complicated" conditions, but that it had managed to adapt the Russian economy to Western sanctions and fulfill the goals outlined by Putin, whom he mentioned 67 times in that presentation.
Mishustin could play an important role in the future transition of power, according to Reuters. According to the constitution, the prime minister is the first in line to take over as acting president until new elections if the Kremlin leader resigns, is removed from office or has to leave office temporarily for health reasons.
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