Mikhail Mishustin

Mikhail Vladimirovich Mishustin is a Russian politician and economist. He has served as the prime minister of Russia since 2020. This role involves managing the government and the country's economy. Before this, he was a leader in tax administration. He is often described as a technocrat. A technocrat is a person who uses technical skills and data to make decisions.

Mishustin was born on March 3, 1966, in Lobnya. This town is very close to Moscow. His parents were Vladimir Moiseyevich and Luiza Mikhailovna. His father was of Jewish origin and was born in Polotsk. Mishustin pursued a deep education in science and math. He graduated from STANKIN in 1989 with a major in system engineering. He completed postgraduate studies at the same institute in 1992. Later, he earned a PhD in Economics from Plekhanov University in 2003. In 2010, he received a DSc in Economics from the Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.

His professional career began in technical and private sectors. After graduate school, he worked as a director of a test laboratory. In 1992, he joined the International Computer Club. There, he helped integrate Russian and Western information technologies. He eventually led the board of that club. Between 2008 and 2010, he worked in the private sector. He served as the president of UFG Asset Management, which is an investment fund. He then joined the presidential personnel reserve before returning to state service.

Mishustin held several high-level government positions before becoming prime minister. From 1998 to 2004, he served as a deputy head of taxation authorities. He also led the Federal Agency for Real Estate Cadastre from 2004 to 2006. In this role, he managed land valuation and assessment. From 2006 to 2008, he headed the Federal Agency for the Management of Special Economic Zones. This agency helped open industrial and innovation zones in places like Tatarstan and Lipetsk. These zones helped grow specific parts of the economy.

From 2010 to 2020, Mishustin was the director of the Federal Taxation Service. He used big data and artificial intelligence to modernize the system. He implemented "online cash registers" to transmit real-time transaction data to the government. This allowed the state to monitor economic activity more closely. This process is sometimes called techno-authoritarianism because it uses technology for government surveillance. These changes were very effective for tax collection. The "VAT gap," or uncollected value-added tax, dropped from 20% to less than 1% during his time.

In January 2020, a major change happened in the Russian government. President Vladimir Putin proposed constitutional changes. This led to the resignation of Dmitry Medvedev and his entire cabinet. On January 15, 2020, Putin nominated Mishustin to be the new prime minister. The State Duma held hearings the next day. Mishustin was confirmed in office on January 16, 2020. Notably, he was the first prime minister ever confirmed without any votes against him.

Mishustin's leadership has focused on the digital economy. He has suggested creating a common electronic income database for all Russian citizens. He also travels across the country to inspect living conditions. He has visited regions such as Novgorod, Kurgan, Yaroslavl, and Kostoma. In 2020, he also managed the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He helped form an operational headquarters for prevention. He also signed orders to close borders with China and Belarus to limit the virus.

His administration has a unique structure compared to previous ones. Analysts note that Mishustin has built his own cabinet. He appointed many associates, including two Deputy Prime Ministers who worked with him at the tax service. This gives him significant power to implement changes. His work connects various fields like economics, information technology, and public administration. He continues to manage the complex systems of the Russian state.