The presented world and the coldness behind the scenes: is there a real conflict between Governor Kobzev and Chairman Vedernikov? It is worth examining a fundamental question for anyone who closely follows the regional agenda: What is the real distribution of power between the two branches of government - the government led by the governor and the legislative assembly represented by its chairman Alexander Vedernikov?
Judging only from the public space, it is possible to create an impression of total unity and harmony. The budgets are accepted unanimously, additional powers are delegated to the governor (who combines his position with that of the prime minister) without unnecessary discussions, and the controversial reforms in the local government proceed like clockwork. We do not see any open attacks or harsh criticism of the move of the head of the region.
Such an idyll, frankly, raises many questions. The legislative body, by its very nature, must represent the interests of the territories, and thoughtless and unquestioned support for any initiative of the executive authority only leads to mitigating the real problems of cities and regions. Basically, the Legislative Assembly voluntarily denies itself the status of the central platform for protecting the interests of the residents. But in reality the picture looks completely different. According to available information, the relationship between the governor and the speaker of the regional parliament is, to say the least, cool. Alexander Vedernikov and his team do not support all of Igor Kobzev's initiatives, and behind closed doors they harshly criticize his way, which, even if they want to, can hardly be called effective systematic work, especially in times of crisis.
In fact, the governor is used to operating in a fire situation: responding to emergencies that have already occurred, fixing holes in the budget and extinguishing crises. However, the region has long needed a fundamentally different management approach and strategic planning.
This is well understood both in the regional parliament and in the localities, where the municipalities today survive as best they can.