Finance minister first victim of Putin's swap

The Russian Finance Minister Aleksei Kudrin resigned on Monday at the behest of President Medvedev. The exchange of roles at the Kremlin announced by Prime Minster Vladimir Putin has already claimed its first victim, comments the liberal-conservative daily Corriere della Sera: "The war of nerves between the two protagonists is easy to explain: Kudrin had hoped to become prime minister himself, while Medvedev wanted to remain as president in the Kremlin. Putin has opted for a different constellation, but he would be making a grave mistake if he failed to realise that the spectacular clash between Kudrin and Medvedev conceals a smouldering discontent. The outgoing president has gathered around himself a group of loyal supporters that should not be underestimated. Other interest groups fear the return of Putin's former KGB colleagues. But above all Russian society is beginning to demand genuine political representation in view of the country's economic advances. It will no longer be fobbed off with power games among tsars."

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