MOSCOW, August 15 (Itar-Tass) — Deputy head of the president's domestic policy department Dmitry Badovsky is to quit the Kremlin shortly to head the Institute of Socio-Economic And Political Studies /ISEPI/ foundation set up in May 2011 to write the election program for the All-Russia People's Front of Vladimir Putin, according to Kremlin officials cited by the Vedomosti.
Badovsky joined the team of domestic policy supervisor Vladimir Volodin ahead of the elections and handled federal companies. After the presidential election campaign, he was working on the task to restructure domestic policy management, by shifting the focus to analysis and forecast of the development of the situation rather than than quick elimination of aftermath. The department provides the necessary analytical materials on its own at the present time. Badovsky played a role in launching the use of international norms in legislative activity, according to his colleague.
Badovsky's new mission is to reload the ISEPI and turn it into the key floor for quality interaction between the authorities and the public and expert communities. The foundation must become a powerful analytical center to bring together experts from different fields, level of loyalty to the Kremlin and renown, for working out strategic solutions to develop the country, a Kremlin official said. Volodin and Badovsky have already held a series of meetings with a large circle of experts. The previous administration has not contacted with many of these experts for long years. The experts therefore were given an opportunity - if they wished - to inform the administration of their opinion of the current situation or possible political risks. However, building direct relationship with the Kremlin in such a format is not convenient to all experts, the Vedomosti underlined.
Together with Badovsky, his longtime colleague Alexander Pozhalov will quit the administration to work as an expert, while his other associate - Yekaterina Kurbangaleyeva, who headed the information policy department at the presidential administration, transferred to the ISEPI a month ago. Badovsky did not comment on his giving up his Kremlin job.
With Badovsky's appointment, the Kremlin's work with political analysts has undergone major changes: whereas earlier the authorities requested them to say something or refrain from saying something, a number of Badovsky's colleagues are now requested full-fledged consultations over various aspects of political life, political scientist Yevgeny Minchenko said. The foundation will foremost study the situation in the regions and carry out system diagnostics of the processes going there, so that surges of protest in single company towns during the crisis or a new Bolotnaya Square do not come unexpected. Also, it might ponder international experience to work out mechanisms to make the system stable, on the other hand, and more flexible and meeting the society's requirements, on the other, Minchenko said.