A wave that some of our disinformation outlets have happily picked up. Ex-president republic suddenly remembered such a strange thing as the "Agreement on the delimitation of jurisdictions and powers between the state authorities of the Russian Federation and the state authorities of the Republic of Tatarstan" concluded for 10 years and signed in Moscow on June 26, 2007 in two copies, each (!! !) in Russian and Tatar languages!
Demonstrating a truly oriental wisdom, he said:
“I want to emphasize that it does not provide for any tax or financial and economic preferences for Tatarstan. Today, given the constructive nature of this agreement, the results of which we see in the successful development of the republic, it has the right to life. "
And to the delight of the audience he added that this "agreement" can be extended without amendments and will help to strengthen the foundations of our federal state.

Of course, Mintimer Shaimiev twisted his heart a little. This treaty has not brought and will not bring any strengthening to the Russian state, and let us hope that in June this treaty will lose its force. And that's why.

1. This agreement was presented to Shaimiev in 1994 by Yeltsin, three months after the shooting by tanks of the Russian parliament, when his legitimacy was zero, and he sat on his suitcases waiting to be asked to leave. This agreement was called long and floridly:
"On the delimitation of jurisdictions and mutual delegation of powers between the state authorities of the Russian Federation and the state authorities of the Republic of Tatarstan" dated February 15, 1994, concluded on the basis of the referendum of the Republic of Tatarstan held on March 21, 1992.
Even the name of the contract shows some kind of catch, they say, you are on your own, and we ourselves are with a mustache.
Yeltsin then, under pressure from Shaimiev, who, in turn, was pressured by the Tatar elite, eager to redistribute oil profits into their pockets, had to back down.
The agreement forced him to make such concessions that it was impossible even to imagine in any Russian Empire nor in the USSR.

2. We know that the federal structure in a country where 81% of the population is Russian is fundamentally flawed. All these national republics are atavism, relics of the Soviet past. Actually, it was the federal structure of the USSR, its division into national republics that led the country to disaster.
If the comrades from the bodies, supported by the Russian oligarchy, had not removed Yeltsin, at the moment when Russia was on the verge of collapse, then no federation would have existed.
Therefore, such separate agreements between the Russian state and its Russian part, which is called Tatarstan simply because half of the population there are Tatars, carry a time bomb.

3. In 2007, Putin was forced to extend this agreement for another ten years. The contract was urgent, i.e. limited in time, because at that moment the country's supreme power had not yet gained such strength to enter into an open confrontation with the powerful Tatar oil-clans.
Vladimir Vladimirovich had other tasks at that time, but he understood that sooner or later he would have to return to this agreement.
They returned to him three years later. And in 2010, who had been in power for 19 years in Tatarstan, President Mintimer Shaimiev ceded his throne to Rustam Minnikhanov, and the Tatar elites got their tails a bit pinched.

With the expiration of the last effective agreement on the delineation of powers between Moscow and Kazan on July 24, the history of contractual relations between the federal center and the regions may end. A high-ranking source of Kommersant in the Presidential Administration (AP), when asked whether the text of the new treaty with Tatarstan had been agreed upon with the Kremlin, told Kommersant that "there is no new treaty." The ex-president of the republic, Mintimer Shaimiev, previously stated that "the agreement can be extended without making any changes." The expert believes that the curator of the Kremlin's internal political bloc, Sergei Kiriyenko, may be an opponent of the extension of the agreement with Tatarstan.

Monday marked the tenth anniversary of the signing on June 26, 2007 of an agreement on the delimitation of powers between the state authorities of the Russian Federation and Tatarstan. It was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiev. The contract will expire on July 24, 2017. In Art. 5 of the agreement itself notes that the procedure for its extension is determined by federal law. However, in Art. 26.7 of the Law "On General Principles of Organization of the Legislative and Executive Power of the Subjects of the Russian Federation" stipulates that the term of the agreement cannot exceed ten years, and the procedure for extending the document is not described at all. Kommersant's source in government agencies does not exclude that in 2003 such a wording was “deliberately written down in the law so that the contract would not be renewed in the future.” A high-ranking source of Kommersant in the Presidential Administration, when asked whether the text of the new treaty had been agreed upon with the Kremlin, said that "there is no new treaty."

The agreement on the delineation of powers between the Russian Federation and Tatarstan was first signed in 1994 by Mintimer Shaimiev and the first President of the Russian Federation Boris Yeltsin. He assumed broader powers for Tatarstan: the republic had the right to its own legislation, taxes, citizenship. With the arrival of Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin, the legislation of all constituent entities of the Russian Federation was brought into line with the federal one. In the Volga Federal District, this work was carried out by the presidential envoy Sergei Kiriyenko. In 2003, a two-year deadline was set for the renewal of previously concluded agreements, after which the previous agreements expired, and the new ones had to be approved by laws, but even then the Kremlin made it clear that few could count on special relations with the center: among such regions were named Tatarstan and Chechnya.

In 2004, Mr. Kiriyenko, together with the speaker of the State Council of the republic, Farid Mukhametshin, within the framework of a special working group, began preparing the text of a new treaty. The work, as Kommersant wrote, was carried out in strict secrecy. “We came to an agreement on most of the points, only two points remained not fully resolved - on subsoil use and language” - this was the standard answer of Messrs. Mukhametshin and Kiriyenko to all questions. As a result, according to an agreement signed in 2007, the republic retained the right to jointly resolve issues related to the economic, environmental, cultural and other peculiarities of Tatarstan with the federal center, the right to a special design of passports (residents can receive an insert in the Tatar language). Candidates for the post of head of the republic must be fluent in both state languages: Russian and Tatar.

The authorities of Tatarstan have repeatedly stated the need to prolong the agreement with the Russian Federation after 2017. Earlier, the President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov told Kommersant that “further agreements do not worsen, but increase the responsibility of this or that territory to the federal center.” Mr. Minnikhanov is the only regional leader who has retained the word "president" in the title of his position.

“Undoubtedly, we are in favor of this agreement being valid. This is an example and confirmation that we live in a federal state, ”said Farid Mukhametshin at the end of 2016. He stressed that the republic “does not claim any new powers”: “I do not exclude that we will simply agree to prolong the agreement. This is fundamentally for the country as a whole. "

One of the main lobbyists of the treaty is considered the ex-president of Tatarstan, state adviser of the republic Mintimer Shaimiev. His press service told Kommersant that he had already indicated his position at the congress of the peoples of Tatarstan in April. Then he said that "the agreement can be extended without making any changes to the content as a constitutional norm that helps to strengthen the federal foundations of our state." He also noted that "given the constructive nature of this agreement, the results of which we see in the successful development of the republic, it has the right to life." Note that Mr. Shaimiev is an advisor to the curator of the Kremlin's internal political bloc, Sergei Kiriyenko, on a voluntary basis.

The State Duma and the Federation Council do not know what is happening with the treaty. On Monday, several deputies and senators from Tatarstan who were polled by Kommersant at once refused to comment on the situation, saying that "the topic is so painful that you will not say it - it will only get worse." According to one of the parliamentarians, most likely there will be no new agreement. Another told Kommersant that "according to rumors, there is some kind of intrigue around the agreement." The parliament of the republic did not comment on the issue either. "The agreement is necessary, but so far it is not being discussed in the State Council," Rafil Nugumanov, deputy chairman of the State Council's legality committee, told Kommersant. “I myself would very much like to know what is with the agreement,” said the oldest deputy of the State Council Marat Galeev. Farid Mukhametshin recently said that "today this issue is not on the agenda," but did not rule out that "it will be soon": "Information will be received, perhaps even from the president of the republic." The staff of Rustam Minnikhanov declares that they “have no information”. Ildar Gilmutdinov, the chairman of the State Duma Committee on Ethnic Affairs, elected from Tatarstan, told Kommersant that this issue “should be taken calmly, and everything will be fine”: “The question is in the work. There are no legal restrictions for such an agreement to exist. "

If the agreement is not renewed, the issue of it may be raised in August at the congress of the World Congress of Tatars (WKT), which will be attended by representatives of the Tatar diaspora from 40 countries of the world. “The reality is that Tatarstan can count on a special role. I would like the federal center not to turn this issue into a political litigation. There should not be any misunderstanding or grievances, "Rinat Zakirov, head of the VKT executive committee, told Kommersant.

In Kazan, the All-Tatar Public Center has already held a number of actions in support of the new agreement, but they were few. Social activists sent a letter to Vladimir Putin, in which they complained that they did not hear "any statements from the leaders of Russia and Tatarstan about the new agreement, its content." They consider the current agreement "fictitious" and propose to secure for the republic such powers as "independent implementation of foreign economic activity, the creation of the National Bank", as well as the deduction of taxes to the federal budget "in accordance with a single standard or a fixed amount."

Political scientist Abbas Gallyamov notes that "the agreement in its current form is completely devoid of any content, so its prolongation is not a problem for the federal authorities, but for the residents of Tatarstan it is an indicator of exclusive status, which makes them feel special." If Rustam Minnikhanov is unable to extend the contract, this will greatly weaken his position in the eyes of the population (especially given the winter banking crisis in the republic), which is undesirable on the eve of the elections, the expert notes. He does not exclude that the reason for the delay is connected with the desire of Sergei Kiriyenko “to deploy already decision on the extension of the agreement ":" While working as a plenipotentiary, he had to spend a lot of effort in the fight against the leadership of Tatarstan and Bashkiria, which did not want to bring regional legislation in line with federal. Most likely, then he formed a negative attitude towards the "regional freemen" and is now trying to put an end to the last vestige of that era. "

Kirill Antonov, Kazan; Sophia Samokhina

No longer the first among equals? On July 24, 2017, the agreement on the delimitation of jurisdictions and powers between the bodies of state power of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tatarstan, which has been operating in a new form since 2007, expires on July 24, 2017. By 2017, Tatarstan remained the only subject of our country where the president is the head of the region. Today it became known that the Presidential Administration will recommend to Vladimir Putin not to renew the agreement with Tatarstan. Why the Kremlin is taking such a step and what is the fate of further relations between the "special" region and the federal center - in the material of "FederalPress".

As writes Chief Editor radio "Echo of Moscow" Alexey Venediktov, The Presidential Administration will recommend to the head of state not to renew the federal agreement with Tatarstan. Venediktov announced this on his Telegram channel, referring to a federal official high level... According to the media manager, the Presidential Administration discussed different variants, but the opinion of the curator of the internal political bloc - the deputy head of the Presidential Administration Sergei Kirienko, who believes that there is no need to prolong the contract.

Symbol or subject of conflict?

Russian political scientists, both federal and living directly in Tatarstan, note that the existing agreement was mostly symbolic. Associate Professor of the Department of Political Science of the Institute of Social and Philosophical Sciences and Media Communications of the Kazan Federal University Victor Sidorov told FederalPress that the expiration of this document will not affect the lives of ordinary people.

“Such agreements have their own functions, pros and cons, at different times there is a different request for an agreement both from the center and from the part of the subject of the federation. To some extent, the agreement can be useful, it can strengthen the federal principles. In 2007, the treaty was needed as a symbol of the federal foundations of Russia, which is why it was extended. [First President of Tatarstan] Mintimer Shaimiev possessed enormous weight and promoted the treaty precisely as a symbol of the federation. Perhaps a formal agreement will be replaced by informal agreements - then no one will lose, ”the expert noted.

The position of a political scientist Andrey Kolyadin consonant with the one voiced by Viktor Sidorov. He also believes that informal agreements are much more important. At the same time, he noted that the decision to not extend the agreement can be justified by the fact that the Presidential Administration wants to eliminate any imbalances within the state, thereby preventing the development of separatist sentiments in the regions.

“The agreement created special conditions for the existence of a separate republic. It is absolutely clear that other republics were interested in not having worse conditions, and maybe even better ones. Any imbalance within the state causes envy and a desire to achieve the same results in negotiations with the state. In the end, this leads to certain attempts at separatism. Based on this, creating special conditions is probably not entirely correct. It is necessary to build relationships on the basis of federal programs, relevant projects that do not worsen life in this territory, ”Kolyadin said.

Despite the exceptional symbolism of the agreement, its non-renewal may lead to certain political implications... Inside, the elite confrontation in the Republic of Tatarstan may escalate. And the positions [of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan] Rustam Minnikhanov may weaken. This point of view was expressed by a political scientist Abbas Gallyamov in an interview with a FederalPress correspondent.

“This will lead to the political weakening of the current leader. Naturally, the number of conflicts will increase. Therefore, I think that the Kremlin will nevertheless prolong the agreement. Unless he decided to change Minnikhanov, but this is unlikely. He is loyal, so in general there is no need to change him. Gradually, the power will weaken, there will be more disorder. Therefore, I think that it will be extended, ”Gallyamov summed up.

The press service of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan refused to talk to the FederalPress correspondent about the fate of the document. "We do not comment on this topic," said the deputy head of the press service of the head of the region Lazzat Khaidarov.

However, in general, the position of the leadership of the republic on the treaty is known. As the newspaper "Kommersant" wrote on June 26, Rustam Minnikhanov in a conversation with the publication noted that the new agreements do not worsen, but increase the responsibility of this or that territory to the federal center. In turn, the chairman State Council RT Farid Mukhametshin announced a year ago that the agreement should be extended. Mintimer Shaimiev adheres to the same position. According to Kommersant, in April at the congress of the peoples of Tatarstan, the politician stated that the agreement could be extended without any changes in its content as a constitutional norm, which would help to strengthen the federal foundations of the entire state. “Considering the constructive nature of this agreement, the results of which we see in the successful development of the republic, it has the right to life,” said Shaimiev at the time, who also held the post of adviser to Sergei Kiriyenko on a voluntary basis.

How did it all begin?

Let's go deeper into history. Tatarstan first appeared on the map of Russia in 1920, when the Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was formed. The region existed on the basis of autonomy within Soviet Russia until August 30, 1990. Then the Supreme Soviet of the Tatarstan Soviet Socialist Republic adopted a declaration on the state sovereignty of Tatarstan. In 1992, the entity received its current name. At the same time, a referendum on the state status of the Republic of Tatarstan took place. In the same year, local authorities refused to sign a federal agreement with the Russian Federation, and in the Constitution of the Republic of Tatarstan adopted on November 30, 1992, the region was named a sovereign state.

Despite all the difficulties, the agreement on the delineation of powers was signed. It happened two and a half years after the collapse of the Soviet Union - on February 15, 1994. Tatarstan was allowed to have its own Constitution and legislation, levy republican taxes and form a republican budget. The region also had the right to pardon convicts by local courts, independently resolve issues of the legal profession and notaries. In addition, state authorities, according to the document, had the right to carry out legal regulation of administrative, family, housing relations, relations in the field of protection environment and nature management. At the same time, the bowels of the republic, according to the document, belonged to the people living in the territory of the subject.

The delimitation of the subjects of jurisdiction and the mutual delegation of powers between the center and the region was based on three legislative acts - the Constitution of Tatarstan, the Constitution of Russia and the concluded agreement.

Six years later, Tatarstan became an "equal" subject of the Russian Federation with sovereign powers. And in 2002, the region brought its constitution into line with the federal one.

In 2006, Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiev and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a new agreement on the delineation of powers. It establishes the joint use of natural resources, the use of two state languages ​​- Russian and Tatar within the framework. At the same time, the head of the subject is obliged to equally own both. 11 years ago, the agreement drew criticism from the Federation Council, which vetoed it. However, on June 26, 2007 new edition the treaty was nevertheless accepted. It expires on July 24, 2017.

Photo: press service of the President of Russia

Russian President Refuses to Maintain Special Treaty with Tatarstan July 12th, 2017

And you probably already forgot what the times were. As the regions "took as much sovereignty as they could carry" and there were real attempts of Yakutia to secede from Russia. And what was happening at that time in the republics - this is generally a specific dual power of local princes. They had their own Constitutions, their own Presidents, etc. As some say, "Russia was spreading on the sides" and the central government was often "not a decree" at all.

Here is today's echo of those times: The Kremlin does not intend to renew the agreement on the delineation of powers between Russia and Tatarstan, as well as to conclude a new one. Republican authorities ask for concessions in return

Let's recall a little the history of this issue ...

The practice of signing agreements on the delineation of powers between the federal center and the regions was widespread under the first President of Russia, Boris Yeltsin. By 1998, the Kremlin had concluded treaties with 46 regions.

The first agreement delimiting the powers of Russia and Tatarstan was concluded in 1994. The state authorities of the republic received the right to levy their own taxes, resolve issues of republican citizenship, create their own National Bank, resolve issues of ownership, use and disposal of natural resources, which, according to the document, were "the exclusive property and property of the people of Tatarstan."

After Vladimir Putin became president, the practice of such agreements gradually faded away. Tatarstan remains the only region whose relations with Moscow are regulated by an agreement. In a document from 2007, the authorities of the republic were granted the right to issue passports with an insert "in the state language of the Republic of Tatarstan (Tatar) and with the image of the state emblem of the Republic of Tatarstan." Moreover, in paragraph 1 of Art. 2 of the document states that in accordance with the Constitution of Russia and the Constitution of the Republic "Tatarstan (state) - a subject of the Russian Federation - has all the fullness of state power outside the limits of jurisdiction" and the powers of Russia "in matters of joint jurisdiction."

The agreement on the delineation of powers between Russia and Tatarstan, which was of a purely symbolic nature, was approved on July 24, 2007 for a period of ten years, that is, until July 24, 2017. At the same time, the Speaker of the State Council of Tatarstan Farid Mukhametshin told RBC that the agreement expires on August 11, 2017, since it came into force on that day ten years ago.

The authorities of the republic do not agree with the position of the Kremlin and are trying to challenge it, says an interlocutor of RBC close to the presidential administration. In Tatarstan, the situation is perceived rather sharply, clarifies another source close to the Kremlin, RBC. The republican authorities would be satisfied if the federal center went to extend the expiring agreement, no one insisted on the new document, he says.

Ideally, the republic's authorities would like the document to be preserved in one form or another, but knowing that the federal center is not ready for this, "they are trying to bargain for preferences for themselves," says a federal official. In particular, according to him, the issue of the current name of the highest official Tatarstan. The fact is that this is the only republic in the Russian Federation, the leader of which is called the “president”, while the other republics have “heads”. In addition, there is a problem of disproportionate representation of persons of Tatar and Russian nationalities in the government of the republic, adds the interlocutor of RBC.

A source close to the leadership of Tatarstan told RBC that at present the republican and federal authorities are discussing the situation with the agreement and are deciding how to compensate for its absence. RBC's interlocutor did not want to comment on the question in more detail.

The deputy head of the press service of the President of Tatarstan Lazzat Khaidarov told RBC that he would not comment on the issue of extending the contract, as well as possible preferences for the republic. “We urge to extend the contract so as not to disturb people. We would like it to be there, ”Farid Mukhametshin told RBC. He declined to comment further.

Despite the fact that the agreement between Moscow and Kazan is purely symbolic, its cancellation could offend the republican elites, political scientist Rostislav Turovsky believes. “The agreement underlines the status of Tatarstan and, although symbolically, it raises it above the rest of the subjects,” the expert said. This superiority is especially important for the old elites, which are represented in the republic by ex-President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev and Chairman of the State Council Farid Mukhametshin. But, according to the political scientist, for the current president Rustam Minnikhanov, although he is a "technocratic leader", the agreement is important. Refusal to prolong the document or replace it with a new one will be a rather strong blow for Minnikhanov, Turovsky is sure.

The absence of any agreement on the delineation of powers may have Negative consequences not only for the republic, but also for the federal center - in the context of the upcoming presidential elections, political analyst Abbas Gallyamov believes. “Apparently, the Kremlin decided that it is more important for it not to support Minnikhanov, weakened by the winter banking crisis, but to demonstrate its strength in dialogue with him. In fact, in other regions this demonstration will simply not be noticed by the forces, but in Tatarstan, protest moods will intensify, ”the political scientist explains.

Minnikhanov is "too pragmatist" to worry about the cancellation of a nominal document that does not bring any benefit to the republic, political analyst Yevgeny Minchenko is sure. The decision not to extend the validity of the document was agreed upon ten years ago, so the absence of a new document will not come as a surprise to anyone, including local elites, the expert concludes.

There is no particular danger for the Kremlin in the non-extension of the agreement with Tatarstan, believes the chairman of the republican branch of Yabloko Ruslan Zinatullin. According to him, Tatarstan will react negatively to Moscow's initiative, but Minnikhanov, as a politician, is weaker than the previous president of the republic, Mintimer Shaimiev, and will not be able to defend the status of the republic before the Kremlin. For the republic, despite the fact that over the years the treaty gave Tatarstan less and less real preferences, this symbolic status still remains important, so withdrawal from the treaty will weaken Minnikhanov, Zinatullin is sure.

In theory, the president of Tatarstan can use republican nationalists and give green light their protests against the policies of the federal center, but local nationalists in last years have weakened and their performances are unlikely to be massive, the Yabloko leader argues.

sources

Experts of "BUSINESS Online" on why an agreement with Moscow is needed and whether Putin will listen to the State Council of the republic on the eve of the elections

Tatarstan is not going to leave Russia, but the issue of extending the agreement on the delineation of powers between Moscow and Kazan is fundamental for him - this is how some experts and public figures reacted to the today's appeal of the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan to Vladimir Putin with a request to extend the agreement. Some federal political scientists, on the contrary, saw this as an attempt by the Tatarstan elites to continue the policy of separatism. About what it was - in the selection of opinions collected by "BUSINESS Online".

“In 2007, it was Putin who re-signed the agreement with Tatarstan, and it suited everyone! After that there was economic growth, good relationship republics with a federal center " Photo: shaimiev.tatarstan.ru

"PUTIN REDESIGNED AGREEMENT WITH TATARSTAN, THERE WAS AN ECONOMIC GROWTH AFTER THIS"

Maxim Shevchenko- journalist, member of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights:

- The renewal of the agreement between Moscow and Kazan will not require the conclusion of similar agreements with other regions, as some fear. In general, I do not think that all federal relations in the Russian Federation should be built like a blueprint. Federalism differs from formal structuralism, where everyone is dressed the same and must march in the same way. Even the American states have different forms of entry into the United States, different rights and local laws. And in Germany, the states have different relations with the federal center. Difference and differences are the essence of life as such, life is not the same, just as politics is not the same. It is not the result of the application of a general coercive system, it is the result of the preservation of the individual and the particular while respecting the interests of the general.

I believe that the agreement with Tatarstan, the most important and fundamental region of the Russian Federation, is the first attempt to overcome the disintegration of the country. It is clear that today the federal center and Kazan are guided by completely different scenarios of relations with each other than they were in the 1990s. Yes, today the vertical of power is strong, no one would think of considering Kazan and Moscow as equal subjects, as it might have seemed in the 90s. It is clear that the position of the President of the Russian Federation and the federal authorities is unconditional and that Kazan does not think politically or economically to oppose this. But the federal contractual system is the most important foundation, the blossoming complexity that ultimately leads to the preservation of the country's unity. On the contrary, any attempt at unification today will lead to the weakening of the country, to massive discontent on the ground and to the threat of the collapse of the state. At the same time, the contractual system is able to keep in one bundle, for example, Dagestan and deep Russian regions; it is she who creates in the country a flexible, effective and viable political system.

Why change something that has already been tested by time and works successfully? The agreement with Tatarstan does not harm the country - it exists only in the theoretical views of some hyperimperialists. De facto, the agreement has proven its effectiveness, efficiency, strengthened Tatarstan as one of the largest taxpayers and one of the most dynamically developing subjects of the Russian Federation. Therefore, I am opposed to slaughtering the goose that lays the golden eggs. We already see that all problems arising within the republic are resolved by the federal Kremlin on the basis of Russian laws, and not from this treaty. If Tatarstan banks violate federal law, their licenses are revoked. If any representatives of the Tatarstan elite commit crimes of a corruption or other nature, they are arrested and brought to trial. At the same time, Kazan fully interacts with Moscow on a positive agenda, whether the country is hosting the Confederations Cup or the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Therefore, the system is already working efficiently.

They will ask: why then the contract? Understand, he is an image, and the image in politics is a very important thing. In principle, after the inauguration, the President of the Russian Federation can go out in public in jeans and a T-shirt. Why then does he go out in a beautiful suit and surrounded by guardsmen in their uniforms embroidered with gold? Because the image plays an important role in politics. I believe that the agreement between Moscow and Kazan plays an important role in the image, showing democracy, federalism and openness in Russia. I am opposed to turning it into a unified empire, as some "hawks" want it - on the contrary, it will lead us to ruin.

I am in favor of leaving the system, which was already difficult to create and which was balanced in the early 2000s by the current President of Russia Vladimir Putin. Indeed, in 2007, it was Putin who re-signed the agreement with Tatarstan - and that suited everyone! After that, there was economic growth, good relations between the republic and the federal center. And now, in my opinion, a toothy jaw is simply opening wide to devour a part of the Tajik economy. I always see an attempt at a raider seizure behind global political claims, just like behind claims made against handkerchiefs in Mordovian schools, I see the seizure of effective agricultural holdings created in the local Tatar villages. Therefore, I do not exclude that, presenting political claims to Tatarstan, some groups from the center want to try to intercept the results achieved by the republican economy. Before that, it is necessary to humiliate the political elites of the Republic of Tatarstan, to show them that they are nobody and there is no way to call them. This is how criminals always act. After that, you can take the broken elite with your bare hands, because the broken person will give you everything himself.

Now there are, in fact, two political projects - the project of the Russian Federation, in which we live, complex, strong and, in principle, suits all peoples; and the project of the Russian Empire, abolishing the federation and renaming the subjects in the province. And we have to choose among them the one that will make our country effective and viable, and not the one that pleasantly tickles the pride of the “hawks”.

"From a formal point of view, all regions are equal, but Tatarstan stands out a little" Photo: "BUSINESS Online"

"FOR TATARSTAN IT IS NECESSARY TO HAVE AN UNTILED NEGOTIATING POSITION"

Sergey Shakhrai- politician and economist, co-author of the Constitution of the Russian Federation:

- There is Article 11 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, and this norm is in the foundations of the constitutional system. It says: "The subjects of jurisdiction and powers between the center and the regions are delimited by the Constitution, federal and other treaties." That is, the agreement with Tatarstan is a constitutional form of the delineation of powers in our federal state. Moreover, in the case of Tajikistan, this form (I mean the agreement) solved two problems: firstly, it prevented a conflict of the Chechen type, and secondly, it made it possible to convert additional powers, and this is additional responsibility into the quality of life, into the quality of the economy. We see that now almost half of the ministers at the federal and Moscow levels are personnel from Tatarstan. We only need to welcome and support. I hope the president will support. Of course, the contract must be renewed.

Yuri Krupnov- Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Institute of Demography, Migration and Regional Development:

- I think that the question here is not in the answer that Putin will or will not give, but in the fact that there should be a meaningful, substantive and unhurried dialogue about the problems of the federal structure of the country. The question here is not that, God forbid, the federal center is against Tatarstan or Tatarstan, too, somehow wants to resolve selfish issues, but that the country has traveled more than a quarter of a century after the collapse of the USSR. The principles that were laid on the ruins of the Soviet Union, of course, today require very careful study and revision. Then there was a different situation. But by no means in the mode of hasty decisions, reasoning and evaluations. Many thanks to Tatarstan and this letter: the republic is initiating this discussion in a meaningful patriotic spirit. It seems to me that this is the main thing. Those who will say that Putin will say yes, no, or something else today are just not serious people. We need to seriously (at least a year or two) discuss this problem.

I think this is an open question, a serious problem, a global problem. We are building a completely new country taking into account Eurasian integration, issues of the Eurasian Economic Union, the Customs Union. We are in the process of creating a new big country in Eurasia.

And this question is historical creativity. It is like asking Leo Tolstoy before he began to write War and Peace what he will write and publish tomorrow. It's even funny, because this has been written for years in very serious discussions. Therefore, I am in favor of thanking Tatarstan and starting a very substantive discussion.

Pavel Salin- Director of the Center for Political Science Research of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation:

- I think that so far, most likely, no reaction from the president will follow. Probably, this is just a throw-in, which was today regarding Moscow's position on the prolongation of the agreement: they said that there would be no prolongation. This is an element of bargaining with Kazan. But, taking into account the fact that the federal center is seriously afraid of the activation of the regional opposition, there is probably an intention not to prolong the agreement, even taking into account the fact that, unlike the previous agreement, which was before 2007, this one is actually only nominal. I think that some concessions are indeed possible. And Tatarstan needs this in order to still have an unspoken negotiating position.

It is clear that from an informal point of view the regions are not equal, Moscow recognizes this ... Take the same Chechnya. And Tatarstan stands out a little. Let it be purely nominal, but due to the fact that he has an agreement with the federal center, he stands out, this gives grounds in the future to claim, including formal indulgences. It is clear that the financial pressure on the regions will grow now, the federal center is likely to withdraw more income from the donor regions. When it comes to specific money, a small formal privilege can play the role of one of the factors for bargaining with the federal center on specific financial matters Therefore, Tatarstan does not want to give up the idea of ​​prolonging the agreement.

The 2007 treaty from the point of view of some special interests of Tatarstan is much weaker than the 1994 treaty Photo: arhiv.tatarstan.ru

"THE ELITE OF TATARSTAN NEEDS TODAY SIMPLY TO FORGIVE TO ILLUSIONS OF SOME SPECIAL POSITION IN RUSSIA"

Dmitry Orlov- Director General of the Agency for Political and Economic Communications:

- I think that the federal center sees no political or any other need to renegotiate the agreement with Tatarstan. The previous agreement has expired, Tatarstan has almost fully, in contrast to the 90s, entered the legal and political field of Russia, so there is no need for this agreement. Moreover, it is necessary to bring the name of the head of the republic into line with Russian legislation - he must stop being called the president, as the heads of other subjects of the Russian Federation have done, including even such as the Chechen Republic. Naturally, this does not mean that there will be no permanent coordination and conciliation procedures when developing a model of interbudgetary relations, when deciding various issues about subsidies and subventions. These decisions will have to be preceded by negotiations between the authorized structures of the Russian Federation and Tatarstan.

As for the addresses, then, in my opinion, one can speak with them, but I do not think that they will be heard, since the position on this matter has developed, it is quite clear, there are no semitones - an agreement is not needed. This does not mean any lowering of the status of Tatarstan or infringement of the rights and freedoms of the inhabitants of the republic, they have the same rights and freedoms as the rest of the Russians. If we evaluate pragmatically these attempts at negotiations, pressure on the federal center, then the creation of this commission seems to me not a very reasonable step. Most likely, it will hang in the air. What is the point of coming up with public initiatives if the other side (in this case, the federal center) does not want to conduct this dialogue? So it only worsens the image positioning of the local elite. It would be better to conduct non-public negotiations, not to bring the situation to the point where the situation is perceived as the fact that the Tatarstan elite is formulating a position, and the federal center is ignoring it. It would be more logical not to translate this discussion into a public plane at all.

From point of view overall development This process - the relationship between the federal center and Tatarstan - has two aspects. The first is related to the unification of the legal field, which has been under way for a long time, since the late 90s. Vladimir Putin and the federal center in general have always been consistent. The 2007 treaty from the point of view of some special interests of Tatarstan is much weaker than the 1994 treaty. And now the question arises that this treaty should not exist. As for the subjective factors that lead to a rather tough reaction from the federal center, here, of course, the activity of the head of Tatarstan was very noticeable: his thesis about dispossession, the fact that he had thrown a public challenge to the federal center and received a rather tough response from the chairman of the government. I think that this is not what predetermined the rejection of the contract. I believe that the refusal would still have occurred regardless of the scandal. But this predetermined the harsher style that the federal center is now using in dealing with the Tatarstan elite.

The elite of Tatarstan, the leadership of the republic, today just need to say goodbye to illusions regarding some special position within Russia. Tatarstan is a significant subject, economically strong, the status of the republic also creates certain preferences in relation to other subjects. But the region will not have any unique position. Now the main task- to understand this and build a political strategy and logic of their actions based on the changed circumstances. Throwing some public challenges to the center, in my opinion, is an unproductive strategy that will lead to the fact that these initiatives are left hanging in the air.

Evgeny Fedorov- State Duma deputy:

- At one time, the agreement between Moscow and Kazan was supposed to solve the problems created by Yeltsin. As you know, the first president of the Russian Federation urged Shaimiev to “take as much sovereignty as you swallow,” which ultimately weakened the sovereignty of the Russian Federation as a whole. In fact, the treaty came about during the transition period caused by the catastrophe of the 1990s. Now there is no need to create such an agreement again, and the old agreement, in my opinion, was finite and did not require renewal.

What can now be proposed to resolve unnecessary stress? It is necessary to conduct a constructive dialogue with the authorities of Tatarstan, integrate them more into federal projects and all-Russian state-building, and at the same time, to a lesser extent, encourage separatism and a narrow community. Whether to react at all to the appeal of the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan? I think we need to respond to all appeals, including this one. The proposals contained in it must be discussed, worked out joint plan actions, but without renewing the contract. At one time, half of the Russian regions entered into such agreements with the center. And now only one of these regions remains - Tatarstan. What is the logic in this? The conclusion of a contract in itself implies equality of the parties. And the equality of the parties implies that there are two fatherlands, not one. Even purely theoretically, there cannot be two oaths, two sacred fatherlands, just as there cannot be two true loves. And these are concepts of the same order. There must be one fatherland, there must be tremendous respect for everyone who enters this fatherland.

Eduard Limonov- writer, politician, creator of the unregistered public movement "Other Russia":

- In my opinion, the Kremlin has already said unequivocally that the agreement will not be extended. At least from Moscow, it seems to me that this appeal should not be taken seriously. Probably, this is another test on the part of Tatarstan: what if the Kremlin will react and extend the agreement? But then everything will most likely move on, as it did. I don't see any opportunities for rebellion right now. Tatarstan tried to extend the contract, but it failed. Since it is impossible to achieve what they want, then they must live on. I do not see any prerequisites - right now, this year - for a greater strengthening of the national republics. There is also the concept of the unity of Russia. Of course, it was not necessary to give up the Soviet Union before, but since it turned out so absurd and unhappy, it is necessary to take care of the unity of the country that is now.

As you can see, none of the republics that broke off from the USSR in 1991 are happy in their long-awaited loneliness. They did not achieve anything outstanding. Only the local elites are satisfied with their position. In the late 1990s, I traveled around Central Asia and I remember how ordinary people in second-class carriages told us: "Why did you Russians abandon us?" I got the impression that they now have more oppression and more masters than they had before. But Tatarstan still has a special position ...

"THE SNAKES WERE YOURSELF INNESS AND AT ANY MOMENT WILL STRIKE IN THE BACK"

Joseph Diskin- Co-chair of the National Strategy Council:

- Tatarstan benefited a lot from the agreement on the delineation of powers, since it received virtually unique tax advantages, which, roughly speaking, consisted in the fact that taxes in Tatarstan were collected, transferred to Moscow and returned in full on the same day. This was at a time when the main concern was the integrity of the country, when destructive nationalist elements were active in Tatarstan, and there was also a skillful manipulation of this threat ... Then it was justified. We similarly made big concessions, benefits and preferences for Chechnya, since with the problem of economic stabilization and the reduction of the threat of terrorism, such maneuvers were justified.

Today Tatarstan is one of the leaders in the economic development of the country and does not really need special benefits. These benefits mean that budgetary opportunities for public sector employees, science, health care, education and culture of the entire country are reduced. This is already, in my opinion, not very fair. The state is strong enough, and Tatarstan feels confident not to succumb to the intrigues of nationalist elements. Therefore, they act correctly, because they think first of all about the interests of the residents of the Republic of Tatarstan, and the country is also doing the right thing, refusing this agreement, since it is already necessary to take care not only of the residents of Tatarstan, but also of the citizens of the whole country. I think it will be fair if Vladimir Vladimirovich refuses to extend the agreement on the distribution of powers, because this agreement was an annex to the federal agreement, which has already sunk into oblivion. There are not many legal grounds for its extension. The contract has expired, there is no contract.

The damage from such a delineation of powers is very significant. From my point of view, the contract has fulfilled its role, Tatarstan has received a lot of resources for dynamic economic development, it is a completely independent, self-developing republic, it would be wrong to receive benefits at the expense of the poor, backward and indigent.

Oleg Matveichev- political strategist:

- It is not Tatarstan that does not surrender without a fight, but the nationalistically oriented Tatar elites continue their policy of separatism. In fact, it is necessary to react to this, including by force, because the snakes have built a nest for themselves and at any moment, as they say, will stab you in the back. Therefore, all such agreements on the delineation of powers are counterproductive, destructive, serve a very bad example and are a bad precedent, a burp of the 90s. Maybe it's time to react. There have already been repeated attacks related to the title of president, with all sorts of other things. We must put an end to all this, patience is already running out. Unfortunately, the only thing that exists is elections. Accordingly, it is not a very convenient moment to restore order in the Tatar elites. Perhaps, thanks to this particular conjunctural moment, they are calculating for this, they will try to drag it all out. But this does not mean that everyone in Moscow has forgotten: everyone who voted is registered. As they say, everyone will remember and will not forgive. After the presidential elections, or at another convenient moment, they will tackle this problem, and very toughly.

Moscow has its hands tied by the presidential elections. It is highly likely that the contract will still be extended. But this does not mean that this news is joyful, that we do it with pleasure and enthusiasm. On the contrary, we consider this to be an unfriendly manifestation.

Photo: kremlin.ru

"UNWISHING TO CONTINUE MAY BE PERCEPTED AS A MEASURE TO CONTAIN THE STRENGTHENING OF REGIONAL ELITES"

Alexander Kynev- political scientist:

- The agreement was initially purely symbolic, its main meaning was that it emphasized the special status of Tatarstan and the Tatarstan elite in Russian politics... That is why he was important and valuable, he showed that the region is special, political influence his leadership is also special. This is quite understandable, because Tatarstan is the largest ethnic republic, besides, it has a powerful economic potential. The Tatarstan political elite is incorporated into the elite not only of Tatarstan, but also of a number of other regions. Roughly speaking, this is one of the most powerful players in the federal political elite as a whole. It is clear that the elite is regional, but its leaders are also federal-level players. Just as Shaimiev was a federal-level player, Minnikhanov remains a federal-level player. We have a list of governors of the first echelon, which includes the mayor of Moscow, the governor of St. Petersburg, the heads of Chechnya, Tatarstan, the governor of the Krasnodar Territory - the obvious regions: the largest in terms of population, the largest in terms of economic role and possessing strategic potential in terms of national security. Therefore, it is obvious that Tatarstan in this sense has always been a special region.

Why did the center go to sign the agreement in 2007 and why does not it want to do this now? It is difficult to speak about 2007, after all, 10 years have passed. Apparently, at that time the center considered that in the complex balance of relations with the regions, special relations with the Tatarstan elite are important. These are always checks and balances: by strengthening or weakening certain groups of the elite, a balance is maintained. Roughly speaking, this is when you are sitting on a stool, she stands when she has four legs. Accordingly, the role of specific elites always restrains other elites.

Why isn't it now? In my opinion, the problem lies in the fact that over the past few years there has been a strong bias towards a new strengthening of the regional elites, associated with the side effects of a number of decisions of the federal center. What is it about? Fighting various new threats, the federal center has strengthened the regional authorities too much. They received direct legitimacy instead of indirect, it is valued higher. Second, while fighting threats at the federal level after 2011, the center greatly weakened political parties, weakened local government, on by and large there is a permanent weakening of such an institution as the regional parliament. Why did you do it? This was done in an attempt to destroy sites on which some new strong federal players could appear.

But who is the beneficiary? Governors were the beneficiaries in all cases. Who benefits from the defeat of the LSG? Governor. Who benefits from the rout political parties because the influence of the political vertical on the regions is weakening? Regional authorities, of course. Changing the format of the electoral system, when half of the seats in the majoritarian districts in the federal parliament strengthens whom? The same regional authorities, elites. The center received additional reinforcement of the governors as a side effect of all these measures. What did he do after that? He began to try to compensate the way he can. The main factor of compensation was all sorts of measures of a forceful nature. This is the wave of criminal cases that is going on in the regions. Yesterday there was a criminal case in Kalmykia, before that there was the Vladimir region, before that - the Irkutsk region, etc. gain.

In my opinion, given the imbalance that has arisen, the agreement with one of the regions emphasizes the special status of the elite, this can also be viewed as an element of violation of these balances. Therefore, the reluctance to extend can be perceived as a measure to curb the growing influence of regional elites in the new conditions.

The federal center does not need a treaty under current conditions, but it is symbolic for the region. Therefore, if everything ends with the agreement not being extended, of course, taking into account the declared political positions, it will look like a political defeat. Maybe some kind of compromise will be found and instead of a contract something will be offered in exchange, for example, a set of some solutions. I am not ready to answer what will happen, I guess what this is connected with, what the general context of relations with the regions fits into. But I am not ready to answer what the center will decide, because our decision-making is rather closed.

“Representatives of the people sit in the State Council. Since they turned to Putin, it means, I think, they did the right thing. They know what ordinary people do not know. " Photo: "BUSINESS Online"

"WITH THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE AGREEMENT, TATARSTAN WILL DISAPPEAR"

Fauzia Bayramova- public figure, writer:

On the issue of the agreement on the delineation of powers, I have a dissenting opinion. In 1994, when this document was signed, national movement was against. We even convened a congress of the milli Majlis, where it was said that before that there were no agreements on entry into Russia, and if they signed it, it would be legalized slavery. Then the contract was extended. Whether these documents were useful, I cannot say for sure. But time has shown that there was no benefit either from an economic, political or national point of view. If there was any good, then Tatarstan would not give 80 percent of its taxes to Moscow. But at the same time, now, when the leadership of Tatarstan, the national movement, the intelligentsia are talking about extending the agreement, it means that they feel something: with the disappearance of the agreement, Tatarstan itself may disappear. Representatives of the people sit in the State Council, since they turned to Putin, it means, I think, they did the right thing.

As for Putin's reaction, I think that if they wanted to extend it, they would have extended the document long ago. Russia does not need it; in general, it does not need national republics. I think that if they do not sign, they give a signal that in the future there should be no nations and national republics in the Russian Federation. Tatarstan has always had its own opinion, so it basically stands on its own. Back in the days of the USSR, Tatarstan was the first to raise the issue of the status of the republic, did not sign federal treaty, did not participate in the presidential elections in Russia, did not participate in the referendum on the Russian Constitution ... This means that Tatarstan has the right to do so. The republic has proved by its stability and economic prosperity that it should have its own special place in Russia. And if Russia does not want this, then it will have to again raise the slogans that were in the 90s, that is, an independent state. We have proved that we will survive to the whole world. It seems to me that Russia is doing this on its own head. To tell the truth, I did not think that the leadership of Tatarstan would focus on extending the contract ... So they know what ordinary people do not know. Namely, that with the disappearance of the treaty, Tatarstan will also disappear. They must now turn to the people.

Rafael Khakimov- Director of the Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan:

- Firstly, Putin will think about it, because he has elections: they started, and he himself started - this can be seen from everything. Events have been outlined, in which we are included (I mean Tatarstan). Navalny started even more actively, and so provocatively: he deliberately rushed to be arrested and so on. In economic terms, there is good growth and all that, inflation is low, the ruble is strengthening, but prices are also rising, and pensions and wages are not growing as fast as food and utilities. He will need votes, one way or another, because I think it would be wrong to simply rely on administrative resources.

Why should Tatarstan not stand its ground in principle? If there are no rallies, this does not mean that everyone is happy with this situation, when they ran into the name "president" on other issues. And in this matter there is discontent in one way or another in the soul. You have to understand politics: if a person is absolutely loyal, then they say to him: “Well, okay, sit in your corner there. Do as we say. " But with those who have their own opinion, they begin to negotiate. If we did not resist in this part, where would our economy be? It would have been like in the Ulyanovsk region, at best like in Bashkortostan, which also walked with us, then could not stand it and gave up all positions. The oligarchs took everything to London, to Swiss banks. That's how it will be, what did you think? If we start to do as you say, then we will then sit like the Kirov region.

Rimzil Valeev- journalist:

- I think that Putin himself will react normally, but there are people who are chauvinistic, monarchical, so let's not guess, we'll see. Public opinion has a very narrow level of the concept of federalism, let our deputies explain, prove the necessity. For Tatarstan, this agreement is the last stronghold for federalism. There is no other people in Russia who would have lived here for thousands of years, who would have their own state, and this state, together with the Moscow princes, would form Russian state, a modern federation. The contract cannot be formal. That is why the USSR collapsed, that relations with the republics were formal.

Photo: kremlin.ru

"TATARSTAN IS NOT GOING TO LEAVE RUSSIA ANYWHERE"

Fatih Sibagatullin- State Duma deputy:

- I think that Putin will not leave the appeal unanswered. Why does Tatarstan stand its ground in principle? Let me give you an example: I once talked with one man, a big man among the Chechens. He spoke about Abkhazia, about the fact that they live poorly, but do you know what he told me? "Fatih, no matter how they live, they have independence, their own separate state, and we are only servants here." That's the whole answer. The fact that Tatarstan will insist on its own was expected, because not a single Tatar in the world opposes this, everyone supports the signing of the agreement.

Hafiz Mirgalimov- First Secretary of the Tatarstan regional branch of the Communist Party:

- Putin is an intelligent politician, he has been to Tatarstan many times, I think he will understand. I myself am familiar with both the first and the second agreement, consisting of four pages, and I think that the new agreement will not harm Tatarstan, but, on the contrary, will contribute to the prosperity of the republic. Russia must be strong in its regions. The agreement helps to delimit powers, because it is impossible to manage everything from Moscow. The political, defense, and space vertical must be strengthened, but the economy must be run by the regions. Tatarstan needs to be principled due to the fact that, in comparison with other regions, we, although we have our own problems, are in a stable position. Moscow does not need to be afraid of this treaty. Look at Germany, the United States: they also have their own federal relations between the center and the regions, this does not lead to the collapse of the state. I think that some kind of document should be signed in our country too. This adherence to principles was expected, the Tatars have a saying that literally sounds like "Better to shoot than lie down." If we do not defend our own, then no one will help in this.

Damir Iskhakov- Doctor of Historical Sciences:

- It is understandable why Tatarstan stands on its own - this is the basis of relations with the Russian Federation. Tatarstan is trying to defend its political space. And the chances are fifty-fifty. Nobody knows how Vladimir Putin will react.