Waiting for the quitrent and corvee: what the decree allowing officials a second citizenship threatens with

As Novye Izvestia has already reported, a decree has been signed allowing Russian citizens with a second citizenship to work in the civil service. Recall that in April 2021, the State Duma adopted a law prohibiting state and municipal employees to have a second citizenship or residence permit abroad. Moreover, the bill was introduced in November 2020 after the adoption of amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

The Russians will be allowed to work in the civil service if it is not possible to get rid of the second citizenship, but they will not be admitted to the state secret, the presidential decree says. A Russian with dual citizenship can get such a job, provided that it "does not contradict the interests of the state and municipal service".

This decree caused quite reasonable bewilderment in the expert community. It looks especially strange against the background of the application of the law on so-called foreign agents - a blatant example of double standards. But there are other, equally important aspects. For example, political scientist Fyodor Krashenninikov writes:

“Still, it’s interesting how officials get second citizenships, from which there is no way to get rid of them?

Citizenship is not a virus, you cannot take it and accidentally pick it up. It takes a long and purposeful effort or pay hefty money. Rather, both. Even if a person from birth has the right to some kind of citizenship, he must still petition.

Now, first: that is, some patriots fussed and paid, paid and fussed, and now such - well, we just can't get rid of the accursed second citizenship!

Seriously? And why did they get it? From an excess of patriotism and great power?"

The publicist Anatoly Nesmiyan is sure that this decree represents another step towards the restoration of a medieval estate society in Russia:

“Exceptions are increasingly becoming the norm. The recently adopted decision on exceptional circumstances allowing the shooting of animals listed in the Red Book. Or about the refusal to prosecute for corruption, which happened due to force majeure circumstances.

An estate society is being formed before our eyes. Its essence is that different estates are subject to different legal regimes. For the slaves - one regime, for the sovereign masters - another. For the servants - at the discretion of the gentlemen. True, there is a long-outdated norm in the constitution - all citizens are equal before the law, but, in general, some were more equal before. But now a formula has been created - "in exceptional cases". At some point, they will accept an indication that, in exceptional cases, safaris for humans are also allowed. But only in relation to the taxable estate, of course. Funny? Yes, not at all. Actually, even now the sovereign gentlemen, with almost no consequences for themselves, are knocking down slaves with cars (remember the case of the vice-president of Lukoil, whose car killed two women, who were eventually found guilty for not dodging a respected member of society's car flying in the oncoming lane? some local bonza who killed several people, but was released from punishment until the age of majority of her young offspring - that is, in fact, justified?) But now all this is gradually becoming a norm no longer conceptual, but fully documented for itself. The magic phrase - in exceptional cases - is modern indulgence. The lord's right in relation to the servo is beyond doubt.

Society goes down the social ladder. At one time, Peskov already said that their ideal was tsarist Russia. With her balls, beauties, French bun. But this is for them. For the rest, tsarist Russia is a hopeless situation, gendarmes, neighborhoods, hard labor. And corvee with rent. And there is no need for illusions - as soon as the wording "in exceptional cases" appears - it automatically turns us into dumb cattle, since all these exceptions are only against us. And not against anyone else..."

Experts from the Pivovarov Team channel provide a list of top Russian officials who have a second citizenship and who can now sleep peacefully:

“This is a direct contradiction to the amendments to the Constitution introduced last summer. Then the deputies spoke in favor of a complete ban on foreign passports for civil servants. Apparently, over the year it became clear that in this case all the authorities would have to be disbanded and reassembled.

The network regularly publishes a list of officials who are suspected of dual citizenship. Of course, this is classified information that is immediately removed from the Internet at the request of the officials themselves. But last year, on the basis of one of such lists, Communist Party deputy Denis Parfyonov sent a request to the Presidential Administration with a request to verify the information.

It is expected that nothing of the kind was found among the officials".