Vladimir Putin, Reconfiguring the Executive Branch
"For my part, I also want to thank you for everything that was done at this stage of our joint work. I want to express satisfaction with the results that have been achieved."
"Not everything was done, but everything never works out in full."
"Our society is clearly demonstrating a demand for change."
Russian President Vladimir Putin
 |
| THE LEADER: President Vladimir Putin, in the Kremlin, stabilised Russia’s economy and re-established its regional power. But corruption remains widespread. REUTERS/Alexei Druzhinin/RIA Novosti/Kremlin |
"In this context, it is obvious that we as the government should allow our country's president to make all necessary decisions before that [the passing of constitutional changes]."From KGB senior operative to President, to Prime Minister, to President, and now head of a completely reconstructed Security Council, after elevating its chairmanship to that of a supreme commander, awaiting his transfer at the conclusion of 2024. It would be just too stifling to stay on as president, he's had enough of all the petty little details, envisioning himself leaving the details to others whom he plans to control, but the external relations and fortunes of Russia vis-a-vis foreign affairs to himself.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev
"This is all about how to influence the prerogatives of the future president."
"Putin would like to have some leverage, some mechanism to control and to get involved in case his successor makes mistakes or has some disagreements with him."
"He doesn't want to get engaged in routine social and economic policy, like the budget -- it's boring for him. He wants to focus on foreign policy, and I think the state council is much more convenient for him."
"But for that, he will need to make it a constitutional body and significantly enlarge its possibilities."
Tatiana Stanovaya, head, R.Politik think tank
This is a man who thinks ahead. A man who, should his country's constitution stand in the way of his personal plans, simply moves to change the constitution. He did so, enabling him to run for continued presidential terms by the medium of originally exchanging positions like musical chairs, with his friend Dmitry, who was willing to appear as presidential figurehead while Vladimir pulled his strings until the time was ripe to exchange positions again.
President in perpetuity. In so doing he has perfected methodology enabling him to reach his goal and surpass it, junking the presidency for an even more elite role, overseeing all executive functions simply by changing the rules, there for him to manipulate, though they were meant to be fixed and incontrovertible. His progress has inspired wannabes like Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro, though it failed Zimbabwe's Mugabe.
Mr. Putin's chess game is one he never loses. Dmitry Medvedev appears to have made no fuss exchanging his prime ministerial position for deputy chairman of the Security Council, awaiting the ascendancy of Putin in four years' time. Installing another unambitious puppet in Mr. Medvedev's place as the Russian Federation's power structure coalesces ever more tightly around Mr. Putin's ego. By "enshrining" the state council he is redesigning his magisterial throne.
It will be fascinating to see whether this enhanced supremacy of this great leader whose popularity level remains astronomical despite the weakness in the state economy and stirrings of unrest where none existed previously to his rule, will find it necessary to build yet another sumptuous mansion befitting his eternal tenure as ruler-in-perpetuity, to outrival the many magnificent mansion/palaces he lavishes on himself.
Labels: Control, Executive Branch, Restructuring, Russia, Vladimir Putin
posted by Pieface @ Saturday, January 18, 2020
<< Home