МОСКВА, 28 окт — РИА Новости. Россию в долгосрочной перспективе ждет “стабилизация общественно-политической ситуации” и рост макроэкономических показателей, предполагает МВД в проекте программы обеспечения общественного порядка и противодействия преступности.

“В долгосрочной перспективе (5-10 лет) в результате принимаемых государством последовательных мер предполагается стабилизация общественно-политической ситуации в стране и устойчивый рост экономики”, — говорится в документе, размещенном в понедельник на портале раскрытия информации о подготовке нормативных актов.

Согласно ожиданиям министерства, определенный вклад в улучшение экономической ситуации внесет и оптимизация работы системы МВД.

“Принимаемые государством меры по улучшению социально-экономического положения и совершенствованию деятельности органов внутренних дел Российской Федерации приведут к существенному улучшению макроэкономических показателей и найдут необходимую поддержку среди широких слоев населения”, — отмечается в документе.

And in (rough) English:

The MVD (Ministry of Internal Affairs) expects a stabilization of the political situation in Russia

20:262 8.10.2013

According to the expectations of the ministry,  the improvement of the economic situation will contribute to and optimize the work of the MVD.

MOSCOW, Oct. 28 – RIA Novosti. Russia in the long term is awaiting  the “stabilization of the political situation” and an improvement in macroeconomic indicators, suggests the MVD, in its draft program for maintaining public order and combating crime.

“In the long term ( 5-10 years), as a result of successive measures taken by the State. there will be a stabilization of the political situation in the country and steady economic growth,” said in a document, posted on the website in accordance with public disclosure regulations.

The ministry expects that an improvement of the economic situation will contribute to and  optimize the work of the MVD.

“The measures the government has adopted to improve the socio-economic situation and improve the activities of the internal affairs agencies of the Russian Federation will lead to a significant improvement in macroeconomic indicators and gain the necessary support among the general population,” the document says.

So, why did this catch my eye? First of all, it struck me as quite unusual that the MVD would actually get into the business of predicting when it expects Russia’s microeconomic situation to improve. I look forward to hearing the Finance Ministry’s take on the terrorist threat to Sochi, next. Secondly, it is rare — indeed, almost unprecedented — that we hear the MVD drawing a direct connection between its work (in other words, levels of crime and public unrest) and the economic situation. Finally, though, I was struck by that 5-10 year timeline. It may be accurate, it may be over-optimistic, but nonetheless here we have a government agency, a silovik one at that, admitting not only that things are quite bad now (and that this has a public order dimension) but that there will be no substantial improvement for up to a decade. I may well be reading rather too much into this, but I could almost see in that an implicit critique of Putin and Medvedev. Of course, it may be an attempt to divert blame for such problems as occur (though usually the blame is shifted downwards or across, not upwards) or simply that this is the objective judgement of professionals within the MVD. But even so, public statements like this–distributed by RIA Novosti, at that–do not tend to materialize organically, they are carefully-crafted, politically-screened. Either someone erred, or Interior Minister Kolokoltsev’s MVD is definitely a lot more outspoken, realistic and, frankly, ballsy than that of his predecessor, perennial political yes-man Nurgaliev.