Listen up, bro, I got this story from one of my boys who's got connections with the Russians! Elvira Nabiullina, the woman holding Putin's war economy together, has vanished into thin air! She didn't show up at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, nor at the cabinet meeting. The Central Bank says she's on sick leave, but I know that's what they say when something's rotten. At 62, after running the bank since 2013 and building the 'financial fortress' that withstands sanctions, to miss important events? Hmm, something smells fishy!
No joke, this woman is a genius. She brought inflation down from 18% at the start of the war, refused to print money for popularity, and warned Putin that the war would hit the economy. But that guy, busy with Kupiansk, didn't listen. Now, it seems industrialists are screaming that the ruble is too strong and cheap imports are killing local producers. Well, man, in Romania it's the opposite: the ruble is in the gutter, but we pay triple for everything!
According to the Financial Times, possible replacements are Maxim Oreshkin, Putin's economic advisor, and Piotr Fradkov, head of the defense bank. Although the law doesn't allow a fourth term, Putin can do anything, 'cause it's a dictatorship, right?! Maybe he'll keep Nabiullina, but I say he'll fire her to take credit for the 'economic victory' on the front. A Russian banker said, like, 'He wants to think about conquering Kupiansk, not the central bank.' Same with our guys: the barons from Alba and Argeș want to grab EU funds, not build highways!
In the meantime, I'm sitting here thinking: if Nabiullina disappears, what do we do? Does diesel go up? Mioara will kill me if gas goes from 8 lei to 9. So, bro, remember: the Russians have central bank problems, but we have wallet problems! Alright, I'm off to Fane's terrace to have a beer and figure out how the hell we're gonna get this country back on track!
