Kudrin (left) and Medvedev in happier times
Russia’s former finance minister, Alexei Kudrin, has once again spoken out against President Medvedev’s budget policies, this time as Medvedev signed a bill increasing military wages and retirement allowances threefold, meaning federal spending on national defense will double over the next three years.
ITAR-TASS reports that when signing the budget bill, Medvedev said that the only people who opposed the increase in spending no longer work in the government – a not-so-veiled reference to Kudrin.
Kudrin, who was a highly respected Kremlin advisor and possible prime minister candidate, was fired by Medvedev for “insubordination” two days after Putin announced he would seek the presidency in 2012.
Also this weekend Kudrin warned of a possible new recession due to the growing crisis in the Euro zone and chastised Russia for its “Achilles heel” of overdependence on raw materials, especially oil.
