BALANCE

If Russian newspapers were published on holidays their main subject would be measuring the balance in Moscow’s current political and business elite. President Yeltsin, known for his undeniable talent for establishing weight categories best known to himself, is still demonstrating his skill. Berezovsky gets a post in the CIS, Chubais in the EEC Russia joint stock company, Berezovsky’s faithful ally Rybkin does not get the premiership in the new government, but the young Premier hands his Energy Ministry over to Berezovsky’s ally Generalov... Bang! Bang! Bang! Note that none of the famous opponents bothers to discuss the meaning of these appointments. Berezovsky will be CIS Executive Secretary, so what? The Russian political elite holds him in esteem not for an ability to talk things over with Aleksandr Lukashenka or Nursultan Nazarbayev.

And about Nazarbayev. The Kazakh President has just managed to use the Russian domestic political situation for his own ends. He was well aware that Moscow, gripped in a pitched battle for ministerial portfolios, would have no time for any crucial integration decisions. Berezovsky’s appointment was crucial enough. Thus, before flying to the Moscow summit, Nazarbayev summoned journalists to Akmola and familiarized them with his new grand initiatives. When his colleagues openly ignored them in the Russian capital he almost spat on the rich Kremlin carpet. He did not disguise his disappointment and said that Kazakhstan might consider withdrawing from a CIS that no longer made any sense. But he did not oppose Berezovsky. In other words, there is no reason for Berezovsky to hold any grudge against Nazarbayev and those opposed to Berezovsky cannot blame the Kazakh leader.

This is balance the Kazakh way. There is also balance the Ukrainian way when the scales almost topple with admiration for Mr. Kuchma’s political skill. He not only nominated Berezovsky but even said he would be happy to see all of the oligarchs in Ukraine.

No, Mr. President, better not! Let them stay home. Remember what happened when you appointed only one such domestic oligarch, Mr. Lazarenko? This had such a negative effect on your nervous system that a dozen more would surely cause irreparable damage. However, in your case ten minus one makes nine, meaning that in return for Mr. Berezovsky’s gratitude you will have to reckon with somewhat different sentiments from other leading oligarchs. They (and others) have seen and heard enough to realize that the Ukrainian leader is prepared to play Russian political games, that for him this is more important than retaining Ukraine’s special visage within the CIS, something which up to now always helped the Commonwealth remain a debating club rather than one of interests, and now not even Mr. Yeltsin’s interest (which might be understandable after all) but Mr. Berezovsky’s! This was also a tool for maintaining balance, now discarded for the sake of short-lived benefits that can hardly be regarded as important for the Ukrainian state.