Presidential Administration of Russia

The Presidential Administration of Russia, also called the Presidential Executive Office of the Russian Federation, is the staff and administrative institution supporting the president of Russia. It is not a commercial brand or an independent ministry. Its role is to provide organizational, legal, analytical, communications, personnel, protocol, policy and oversight support for the head of state and for bodies attached to the presidency. The Russian Constitution provides that the president forms the administration, while presidential decrees define its structure, powers and staffing arrangements. The institution was created by decree of President Boris Yeltsin on 19 July 1991, originally to support the president and vice-president of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and associated presidential deliberative bodies, including the Security Council. The vice-presidential office was abolished in 1993, but the administration continued as the central staff apparatus of the presidency. Yeltsin later approved formal regulations governing the institution on 2 October 1996. Its senior officials are appointed through the presidential chain of command. The chief of staff, deputy chiefs of staff, heads of major directorates and heads of services are appointed by the president and do not require approval by another state body. Other employees are appointed by the chief of staff. The administration therefore operates as an internal executive office rather than as a separately elected or independently governed institution. The administration’s responsibilities include preparing presidential decisions and legal acts, coordinating relations with the Federal Assembly and the Constitutional Court, supporting presidential communications and speechwriting, handling protocol and documentation, managing personnel and state decorations, processing public appeals, and monitoring implementation of presidential instructions. It also contains or supports offices connected with presidential advisers, the Security Council and presidential plenipotentiary representatives in Russia’s federal districts. A major reorganization took place on 25 March 2004 under Vladimir Putin. The number of deputy chiefs was reduced from seven to two, and several directorates were consolidated. The Press Office and Information Office became the Press and Information Office; the Pardon and Citizenship Directorates were combined into a directorate concerned with citizens’ constitutional rights; Personnel and State Decorations were merged; Protocol and Organization were combined; the Territorial Directorate was incorporated into the Domestic Policy Directorate; the Economic Directorate was abolished; and a Civil Service Directorate was created. Under Putin, the administration became more prominent in the operation of the Russian political system. Its Domestic Policy Directorate and related bodies have been described by critics and analysts as important instruments for managing relations with regional authorities, political parties, legislatures, elections, public organizations and the media. A controversial policy document published by Kommersant in 2000, known as “Revision Number Six,” was presented as a plan for increasing centralized political management. Later commentary argued that several of its ideas were subsequently implemented, while the authenticity, provenance and significance of the document remained matters of public debate. Today the administration remains headquartered in Moscow and functions as the principal organizational infrastructure of the Russian presidency. It works alongside, rather than replacing, the government ministries and other federal bodies. Its practical influence depends heavily on the powers exercised by the incumbent president, the authority of the chief of staff and the organization of its directorates and presidential envoys.

The Presidential Administration of Russia emerged during the institutional restructuring of the Russian presidency in the final period of the Soviet Union. Boris Yeltsin established it by decree on 19 July 1991 as an office supporting the president and vice-president of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, together with presidential consultative bodies such as the Security Council. After the vice-presidency was abolished in 1993, the institution continued as the core staff apparatus of the Russian head of state. The Russian Constitution assigns the president responsibility for forming the administration. This constitutional basis gives the office a distinctive position: it is neither a ministry within the Government of Russia nor an elected body, but an executive support structure whose organization can be altered by presidential decree. Yeltsin approved detailed regulations on 2 October 1996. The chief of staff, deputy chiefs, directors of major directorates and heads of services are appointed by the president, while other employees are appointed by the chief of staff. During the 1990s, the administration developed directorates dealing with domestic and foreign policy, legal affairs, personnel, protocol, communications, documents, economic matters, territorial relations and presidential control. Its work included preparing materials for presidential decisions, coordinating relations with parliament and courts, arranging official events and handling appeals, pardons, citizenship and state decorations. The institution was substantially reorganized on 25 March 2004. The reform reduced the number of deputy chiefs from seven to two and merged several previously separate units. Press and information functions were combined; pardon and citizenship functions were consolidated into a directorate focused on citizens’ constitutional rights; personnel and state decorations were joined; protocol and organization were merged; and the Territorial Directorate was placed within the Domestic Policy Directorate. The Economic Directorate was abolished and a Civil Service Directorate was introduced. The administration’s political importance increased during Vladimir Putin’s presidency. In addition to conventional staff and coordination duties, it became closely associated with the management of relations among the federal center, regional authorities, political parties, legislatures, elections, public organizations and the media. The 2000 publication of “Revision Number Six” by Kommersant generated controversy because it portrayed the administration’s Domestic Policy Directorate as a possible instrument for centralized political control, including the use of information gathering, political influence and coordination with security structures. The document’s authenticity and status were disputed, but later commentary treated it as an influential window into, or retrospective description of, the Kremlin’s governing approach. The administration also supports presidential plenipotentiary representatives. These representatives were introduced for Russia’s federal districts in 2000 and act as links between the federal center and regional authorities, monitoring the implementation of federal law and the work of federal agencies. Separate presidential representatives have also served in relations with the Federation Council, State Duma and Constitutional Court. Its offices are located in Moscow, including buildings in the Kremlin and Kitay-gorod. The institution remains active and is organized around the needs of the sitting president. Its public-facing functions include presidential communications, official documents, appointments, protocol and responses to citizens, while its internal functions include policy preparation, implementation monitoring, intergovernmental coordination and political administration.

• 2016

  Retrospective assessment of Revision Number Six

  [1]Presidential Administration of Russiaen.wikipedia.org

  Kommersant published an analysis of how the disputed document’s proposals compared with subsequent political developments.

• 2004

  Structural reorganization

  [1]Presidential Administration of Russiaen.wikipedia.org

  A presidential decree merged directorates, reduced deputy chiefs and created or renamed several administrative units.

• 2000

  Federal districts and presidential envoys organized

  [1]Presidential Administration of Russiaen.wikipedia.org

  Presidential plenipotentiaries were organized in the newly established federal districts as links between the federal center and regional authorities.

• 2000

  Revision Number Six enters public debate

  [1]Presidential Administration of Russiaen.wikipedia.org

  Kommersant published a disputed document outlining an expanded role for the administration in managing political and social processes.

• 1996

  Administrative regulations approved

  [1]Presidential Administration of Russiaen.wikipedia.org

  Yeltsin approved regulations for the Presidential Administration by decree on 2 October.

• 1993

  Vice-presidency abolished

  [1]Presidential Administration of Russiaen.wikipedia.org

  The office’s original support role for the vice-president ended after the position was abolished, while the presidential administration continued.

• 1991

  Creation of the Presidential Administration

  [1]Presidential Administration of Russiaen.wikipedia.org

  Boris Yeltsin established the institution on 19 July 1991 to support the president, vice-president and presidential deliberative bodies.

Central executive staff institution supporting the President of Russia and coordinating presidential administration across policy, legal, communications, personnel, protocol and oversight functions.

• Government administration · 1991

  Presidential executive support

  The administration prepares materials, coordinates offices and supports the president’s constitutional and executive responsibilities. This includes managing presidential workflows, official correspondence, briefings and interactions with other state institutions.

• Government communications · 1991

  Presidential communications

  Press, information, speechwriting, protocol and public-feedback offices support public communication by the president and the processing of communications from citizens and organizations.

• Intergovernmental coordination · 2000

  Federal-district envoy coordination

  The administration supports presidential plenipotentiaries assigned to Russia’s federal districts. Their functions include liaising with regional authorities and overseeing compliance with federal law and the work of federal agencies.

• Legal and administrative services · 1991

  Presidential legal and oversight services

  Legal, constitutional-rights, control and document-processing units help prepare presidential legal acts, review implementation of instructions and handle matters involving citizens’ rights and official documentation.

• 2000

  Revision Number Six controversy

  Kommersant published a purported internal document describing a highly centralized model in which the presidential administration would influence political parties, regional officials, elections, civil-society organizations and media activity. The document was supplied by an anonymous source, and its authenticity and status were contested. Critics later argued that aspects of the model resembled subsequent Russian political practice.

  Source

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• 2004

  Reorganization of the Presidential AdministrationStrategy

  Background

  The administration was reorganized by presidential decree on 25 March 2004 to simplify its structure and consolidate overlapping functions.

  Action taken

  The number of deputy chiefs was reduced from seven to two. Press and information offices were merged, personnel and state decorations were combined, protocol and organization were combined, the Territorial Directorate was moved into Domestic Policy, the Economic Directorate was abolished and a Civil Service Directorate was created.

  Aftermath

  The reform produced the directorate structure described in later accounts of the Presidential Administration and strengthened the central role of domestic-policy coordination.

  Source

1. 1Presidential Administration of Russiaen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Official website of the President of Russiakremlin.ru