Putin proposes a rewrite of Russia’s constitution
Term limits are for the little people
THAT VLADIMIR PUTIN would try to retain power after his current presidential term expires in 2024 was never in much doubt. Ageing autocrats rarely leave office voluntarily, particularly if their rule has been tainted by war, repression and graft. The only questions were how Mr Putin would get round the term-limits imposed by the constitution and what this might mean for his anxious entourage.
On January 15th Mr Putin launched a “transition” aimed at ensuring his continuing role as Russia’s national leader. In his state-of-the-union speech he proposed sweeping changes to the constitution and laid plans that could give him a new role within a transformed political system. Within hours the government led by Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s subservient prime minister, resigned. This was, as he put it, “to give our president the ability to make any necessary decisions.”
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline "The transition begins"
Europe January 18th 2020
- Putin proposes a rewrite of Russia’s constitution
- Italy’s second city shows up the rest of the country
- Europe is rediscovering its penchant for statist intervention
- France weighs up its thankless mission fighting jihadists in Africa
- The hopeless struggle to make German gender-neutral
- For Europe, geopolitics starts at home
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