Mikhail Kasyanov facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mikhail Kasyanov
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Михаил Касьянов
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Kasyanov in 2015
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| Prime Minister of Russia | |
| In office 7 May 2000 – 24 February 2004 (acting until 17 May 2000) |
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| President | Vladimir Putin |
| Preceded by | Vladimir Putin |
| Succeeded by | Mikhail Fradkov |
| First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia | |
| In office 10 January 2000 – 17 May 2000 |
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| Prime Minister | Vladimir Putin |
| Preceded by | Vladimir Putin |
| Succeeded by | Dmitry Medvedev (2005) |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 25 May 1999 – 18 May 2000 |
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| President | Boris Yeltsin Vladimir Putin (acting) |
| Prime Minister | Sergei Stepashin Vladimir Putin Himself (acting) |
| Preceded by | Mikhail Zadornov |
| Succeeded by | Alexei Kudrin |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Mikhail Mikhailovich Kasyanov
8 December 1957 Solntsevo, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Political party | Independent (2000–2006) People's Democratic Union (2006–2010) People's Freedom Party "For Russia." (2010–2012) People's Freedom Party (2012–2023) |
| Spouse | Irina Kasyanova |
| Children | Natalia Alexandra |
| Occupation | Politician, businessman |
Mikhail Mikhailovich Kasyanov (Russian: Михаи́л Миха́йлович Касья́нов, IPA: [mʲɪxɐˈil mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪtɕ kɐˈsʲjanəf]; born 8 December 1957) is a Russian politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Russia from 2000 to 2004. Before that, he was the First Deputy Prime Minister in 2000. He also worked as the Minister of Finance from 1999 to 2000.
In the 1990s, Kasyanov worked in President Boris Yeltsin's government. Later, he joined President Vladimir Putin's first government. After leaving the government in 2004, he became a strong critic of President Putin. He is now a leader in the Russian opposition.
In 2008, Kasyanov tried to run for President of Russia. However, he was not allowed to participate in the election. In 2010, he helped start the People's Freedom Party "For Russia without Lawlessness and Corruption". He became a leader of the People's Freedom Party (PARNAS). He spoke out during the 2011–2013 Russian protests for fair elections. From 2005 to 2007, he was also a leader of the opposition group The Other Russia.
Early life
Mikhail Kasyanov was born on 8 December 1957. His birthplace was a settlement called Solntsevo near Moscow. His father was a math teacher and a school headmaster. His father fought in the Second World War. Kasyanov's mother was an economist. She led a department at a government construction company.
As a child, Mikhail went to music school and played the cello. In high school, he played in a rock band. In 1974, Kasyanov started studying at the Moscow Automobile and Road Construction University. From 1976 to 1978, he served in the Soviet Army. He was part of the guard of honour at the Office of the Commandant of Moscow. This group is now known as the Kremlin Regiment.
From 1978 to 1981, he worked as a technician and engineer. He worked at a scientific institute for the State Committee for Construction of USSR. He was still studying at the university during this time. He finished his studies in 1981. For nine years after graduating, Kasyanov worked at the State Planning Committee. He held various roles, including engineer and chief of sector. In 1987, he received a diploma from the Highest Economy Courses at GosPlan.
Career
Working in the Ministry of Economy (1990–1993)
From 1990 to 1993, Kasyanov worked in government economic departments. First, he was in the State Committee of Economy of the Russian Federation. Then, he moved to the Ministry of Economy. In 1993, the Minister of Finance, Boris Fyodorov, invited Kasyanov to join the Ministry of Finance. He became the head of the Foreign Loans and External Debt Department.
Working in the Ministry of Finance (1995–1999)
In 1995, Kasyanov became the Deputy Minister of Finance. From 1994 to 1996, Kasyanov worked on managing Russia's foreign debts. These debts were from the Soviet era and totaled about $150 billion. In 1996, he reached agreements with international groups of lenders. These agreements helped Russia manage its debts over 25 years.
Thanks to these agreements, Russia could access international money markets. In 1996, Kasyanov presented Russia's economic plans to international financial centers. As a result, Russia issued special bonds called eurobonds for the first time since 1913. This allowed Russian banks and companies to get money from other countries for investments.
In 1998, a worldwide financial crisis began. Russia faced economic problems, and its currency, the ruble, lost a lot of value. Kasyanov led the team that worked to manage Russia's government and private bank debts. He also talked with Russian lenders about managing domestic debts. Kasyanov also negotiated with the International Monetary Fund. These talks helped stabilize the ruble and reduce inflation. This helped the Russian economy recover. Because of these successes, Kasyanov was known as a skilled negotiator.
Becoming Minister of Finance (1999–2000)
In February 1999, Kasyanov became the First Deputy Minister of Finance. In May 1999, President Yeltsin made him the Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation. In June 1999, Minister Kasyanov also joined the Security Council of Russia.
As Finance Minister, Kasyanov focused on the government's budget and foreign debt. During his time, Russia had its first budget without a deficit. This means the government spent less than it earned. In July, Russia received its first loan from the IMF after the crisis.
The government of Sergei Stepashin lasted only three months. However, Kasyanov kept his job in the new government led by Vladimir Putin. He continued talks with international lenders about managing the Soviet Union's old debts.
The Second Chechen War caused a pause in talks with some lenders. Still, Kasyanov quickly solved the main debt problems. This helped Russia's economy start growing. Because of careful financial policies, delays in paying salaries and pensions were stopped. On 10 January 2000, Kasyanov became the First Vice Premier of the Russian government. At this time, Putin was the Acting President, so Kasyanov was effectively in charge of the government. He also remained the head of the Ministry of Finance.
Serving as Prime Minister (2000–2004)
On 17 May 2000, the Russian State Duma approved Mikhail Kasyanov as Prime Minister. As head of the government, he worked closely with businesses and citizens.
During his four years as Prime Minister, Kasyanov's government started many important changes. These included reforms to taxes and the budget. They also made it easier for money and trade to move freely. Other changes included customs reform, changes to national services, and pension reform. They also created a market for land. These changes helped Russia's economy grow steadily. Inflation went down a lot. The economy and people's incomes grew by one-third. This happened even when oil prices were low.
Experts believe the tax reform from 2000 to 2002 was very successful. A flat income tax rate of 13% was introduced. Many other taxes were removed. The VAT was lowered to 18%, and social taxes to 26%. These changes, along with strict financial rules, greatly increased government income.
In 2003, Kasyanov's government also changed how the oil sector was taxed. They created a special Stabilization fund. This fund collected a lot of foreign money. It created a financial safety net for the country. This was a time of overall financial freedom in the economy.
An important success of Kasyanov's government was helping small businesses. They made taxes simpler for small businesses. It became easier to register new businesses. Also, frequent inspections by government agencies were stopped.
During Mikhail Kasyanov's time as Prime Minister, agricultural lands began to be sold as private property. Also, new ways to support farming with loans were introduced. Russia quickly became a top exporter of grain again. This was after many years of importing a lot of wheat.
President Vladimir Putin dismissed Kasyanov and his entire government on 24 February 2004. This happened after more than three years in office. It was two weeks before the 2004 Russian presidential election. Kasyanov and Putin had disagreements about government policies. Putin said on TV that his decision was not about how well the government performed. He said it was to show what direction the country would take after the election.
Political activity after resignation
After leaving the government (2004–2008)
On 24 February 2005, Kasyanov held a press conference. He said he might run for president in the 2008 elections. His bid received support from some well-known figures.
In April 2006, Mikhail Kasyanov became Chairman of the People's Democratic Union (PDU). This was a new non-governmental organization. The PDU helped create the "The Other Russia" coalition. Kasyanov and the PDU were active in this group. They took part in the Dissenters' Marches in Moscow and St. Petersburg. These were some of the first protest events in many years. On 3 March 2007, Kasyanov spoke against Putin's government at a protest in St. Petersburg.
On 26 June 2006, Kasyanov spoke at a presentation. He criticized Putin's government. He said that the government had too much control. He felt that different parts of the government could not work without daily orders. He also said that independent TV and media were being controlled by the state. He believed that local leaders had lost their power because direct elections for governors were stopped.
The PDU had offices in 75 regions of Russia. In June 2007, the PDU named Kasyanov as their candidate for the presidential elections. In September 2007, a new political party was formed based on the PDU. It was called "People for Democracy and Justice." Kasyanov was chosen as its chairman.
2008 presidential candidacy
In 2006, Kasyanov announced he wanted to start a new political party. He also said he would run for president in 2008.
Kasyanov left the opposition group The Other Russia in July 2007. This was because the group could not agree on one presidential candidate.
Kasyanov started the Russian Popular Democratic Union party. However, the government agency in charge of registrations stopped the party. This prevented it from taking part in the 2007 legislative election.
On 8 December 2007, Kasyanov confirmed he would run in the election. That day, his party nominated him as their presidential candidate.
On 16 January 2008, he announced he had collected the 2 million signatures needed to run. However, later that month, the Central Election Commission rejected his candidacy. They said that many of the signatures were not valid. Kasyanov appealed this decision to the Supreme Court, but his appeal was rejected.
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Kasyanov said that President Putin himself made the decision to stop his candidacy. He claimed Putin was afraid that Dmitry Medvedev might lose in a fair election. Kasyanov called the elections a "farce" and asked people to boycott them.
Author: "Without Putin" (2009)
On 18 December 2009, Kasyanov planned to present his book Without Putin in Kyiv, Ukraine. However, the event was canceled just minutes before it was supposed to start. Kasyanov's press secretary said the electricity went out at the hotel. Also, about 20 young men blocked the entrance to stop people from coming in.
Kasyanov's safety concerns (2016)
In February 2016, an image of Kasyanov appeared online. It was posted by Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. The image showed Kasyanov in the crosshairs of a sniper rifle. Many people saw this as a threat against Kasyanov. On 10 February, Kasyanov was attacked in a Moscow restaurant. A group of men yelled threats at him.
Leaving Russia over Ukraine (2022)
Mikhail Kasyanov was against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In May 2022, he took part in a forum in Vilnius. The forum discussed how to change Russia's political system.
In June 2022, Kasyanov told a news agency that he had left Russia temporarily. He did not give many details. As of June 2023, he is in Riga, Latvia. In November 2023, Russia's Justice Ministry added him to a list of "foreign agents."
Timeline
- 1981–90: Worked as an engineer and economist at the State Planning Committee.
- 1990: Became Head of Section for Foreign Economic Relations.
- 1991: Became Deputy Head, then Head, of Foreign Economic Relations in the Ministry of Economy.
- 1992–93: Head of the Consolidation Department in the Ministry of Economy.
- 1993–95: Head of Foreign Credits and External Debt in the Ministry of Finance.
- 1995: Appointed Deputy Minister of Finance.
- 1999: Appointed First Deputy Minister of Finance.
- May 1999: Appointed Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation.
- January 2000: Appointed First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation.
- May 2000: Became Prime Minister of the Russian Federation.
- February 2004: Dismissed by President Putin along with the entire government.
- March 2005: Launched his advisory firm, MK Analytica. He began to speak out against Russian authorities. He announced his plan to run for president in 2008.
- April 2006: Became Chairman of the People's Democratic Union (PDU).
- June 2007: Nominated by the PDU as a candidate for the presidential elections.
- July 2007: Left "The Other Russia" group because they could not agree on a candidate.
- September 2007: Became Chairman of the new political party "People for Democracy and Justice."
- December 2007: Approved by supporters as a candidate for the presidential elections.
- January 2008: The Central Election Commission of Russia stopped his candidacy. They said too many of his signatures were fake.
- November 2014: Spoke to a committee in the UK Parliament. He shared his views on how the European Union should respond to Russia's actions in Ukraine.
See also
- Mikhail Kasyanov's Cabinet
- Zelyonka attack
