Pallin, Carolina Vendil
2007
The Russian Power Ministries: Tool and Insurance of Power
The Journal of Slavic Military Studies
20
1
1–25
The frequent claim that the “power ministries,” “siloviki” or “chekisty,” decide just about everything in Russian politics and the tendency to demonize this sphere detract attention from the real problems. The power ministries are not a homogenous group and Putin would never give the FSB or any other institution the opportunity to “take over” Russian politics. Instead, the dilemma that faces the Kremlin and Russian society at large is the fact that the power ministries have never been subject to scrutiny. Incompetence, abuse of power and sheer inefficiency can thus thrive in this sector. Even more problematic is the Kremlin's compulsion to control everything — often with the help of the power ministries. This is, of course, damaging from a democratic perspective, but Putin ought to be concerned even from a purely Machiavellian point of view. By gathering all strings of control to the Kremlin, Putin has lost the alternative sources of scrutiny such as an independent press, judiciary and parliament.