Valentina Matvienko Photo: council.gov.ru
Valentina Matvienko, aged 75, has been re-elected on Wednesday for another five-year term as head of the upper chamber of the Russian legislature, the Federation Council, reports EFE.
Matvienko received unanimous support from all 155 senators present during the first session of the Federation Council’s autumn sitting. She was the sole candidate for the position, as noted by EFE.
Since taking office in 2011, Matvienko has consistently backed all major decisions proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Sanctioned by Western countries since Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in March 2014, Matvienko also supported the deployment of Russian troops to Syria in 2015 and the military intervention in Ukraine in 2022.
Additionally, she endorsed the constitutional reform allowing Putin to remain in power until 2036, the annexation of four Ukrainian regions in September 2022, and the denunciation of various international agreements.
A former diplomat, Matvienko previously served as Deputy Prime Minister (1998-2003) and as Governor of St. Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city (2003-2011).
Considered the most influential woman in Russia, Matvienko is seen as a trailblazer for other women, such as Irina Podnosova, Chair of the Supreme Court, Elvira Nabiullina, Head of the Central Bank, Tatiana Golikova, Deputy Prime Minister in charge of social affairs, and Ela Pamfilova, head of the Central Electoral Commission.
