Fake elite renewal: Russia invents symbolic positions for war veterans
In russia’s voronezh region, officials have devised a way to formally fulfill the kremlin’s directive to employ “smo heroes” in government without giving up any real power.
▫️The regional government is introducing new positions for “assistants (advisors)” to the heads of executive bodies, to be filled exclusively by participants in the war against Ukraine. These appointments will bypass competitive selection, and the advisors’ terms will depend entirely on the tenure of the officials they serve.
▫️It is clear that these “advisors” will hold no real authority and will mostly participate in public events. Their role is to create the illusion of an “elite renewal” demanded by kremlin, while full control over regional affairs remains with existing officials.
These are essentially decorative appointments, meant solely for television optics. The veterans are reduced to playing supporting roles, their only purpose being to promote kremlin’s narrative of a “social elevator” through participation in war.
