Wednesday January 15 was a seemingly ordinary workday for me until my phone began blowing up with text messages and emails from people wanting to know my thoughts on some major event that had just taken place in Russia. Quickly checking my phone I saw the news that Vladimir Putin had just delivered his annual address to the Federal Assembly, an event that usually takes place in the spring, and that he was apparently stepping down after his current term ends in 2024, that he had announced sweeping changes to the Constitution and that the Russian government had resigned in response. My jaw was on the floor the rest of the day. News reports began filtering in from Western media outlets performing the mental gymnastics needed to conclude that "dictator Putin" had just solidified his power, but with what I knew of the Russian government I was hopefully optimistic this would be a much-needed change.
In my previous post we analyzed the disaster that befell Russia in the wake of the end of the USSR and the invasion of corruption, crime and foreign interests that moved in to fill the vacuum and claim the country's wealth and resources. I speculated that perhaps Putin is still fighting against factions of the oligarchic system that remain very much entrenched in the Russian government. Putin has on many occasions openly berated the government for spending more time talking than acting, for not keeping him abreast of pertinent information and for failing to implement many of his reforms across Russia's vast regions. One member of this remaining system is Prime Minister Dmitry Medevedev who has been surrounded by suspicions of corruption. Medvedev represents the faction of the government that wants to integrate Russia into a global system whereas Putin represents the faction that wants to maintain Russia's independence as a sovereign nation outside of globalism. This began with shared power between the two - Medvedev's faction controlling the economic block and Putin's controlling foreign affairs and defense - until Medvedev (who became President in 2008) approved the US's brutal overthrow of Muammar al-Gaddafi in 2011, plunging Libya into the control of a slave trade. Furious at Medvedev, Putin reclaimed the presidency as a result in 2012, sparking the "Putin as dictator" rhetoric that has become so commonplace in the west. Imagine being one of these "integrationists" during the Federal Assembly address when Putin announced:
"I suggest formalizing at the constitutional level the obligatory requirements for those who hold positions of critical significance for national security and sovereignty. More precisely, the heads of the constituent entities, members of the Federation Council, State Duma deputies, the prime minister and his/her deputies, federal ministers, heads of federal agencies and judges should have no foreign citizenship or residence permit or any other document that allows them to live permanently in a foreign state. The goal and mission of state service is to serve the people, and those who enter this path must know that by doing this they inseparably connect their lives with Russia and the Russian people without any assumptions and allowances. Requirements must be even stricter for presidential candidates. I suggest formalizing a requirement under which presidential candidates must have had permanent residence in Russia for at least 25 years and no foreign citizenship or residence permit and not only during the election campaign but at any time before it too."
What a difference it would make if, in the United States, such a directive were passed and all the officials with dual US/Israeli citizenship were no longer allowed to serve in the US government. Imagine the change it would bring not only within the US itself but especially to US foreign policy and the state of endless war. This is the exact reform that led to the resignation of Dmitri Medvedev and his entire cabinet.
But Putin wasn't done yet. In 1993 Boris Yeltsin ushered in a new constitution that diminished the power of the parliamentary system and strongly increased the power of the president. This is the system Putin inherited, not one he created, and he used it effectively for his 20 years in power to solve the various crises plaguing the country. One could convincingly argue that strong, centralized power is necessary when dealing with a crisis of chaos. Putin apparently feels this time is over and the system no longer needed as he announced increasing parliamentary powers and dramatically decreasing the powers of the president. Amendments were also proposed ensuring that future presidents of Russia can only hold office for two terms, no longer. Putin here is essentially acknowledging that he has been in power for too long and is making sure no one else ever can stay in office as long as he has. Yet the media and those suckered in by it cry and scream that he has actually solidified his power. The fact that he reduced his own power for the next four years is a fact they conveniently miss.
Other proposed reforms include:
The abolishment of Article 14.4 of the Russian constitution which reads in part: "If an international treaty or agreement of the Russian Federation imposes rules that are contrary to (Russian) law, the international rules shall be applied." This creates a loophole in Russian sovereignty allowing foreign bodies to overrule Russian law. This has long been one of the footholds of the oligarchy and it's a loophole that will now be closed.
The State Council, which until now has been an extraconstitutional advisory body, will now be written into the Constitution and endowed with certain constitutional prerogatives. Likely that is where Putin will move to once his current term as President expires, there to serve as an elder statesman and an arbiter between various levels and branches of government. The State Council could plug a major gap that currently exists between the federal and the regional levels. There are numerous problems that cannot be addressed effectively at the regional level but, given the vastness of the land, cannot be addressed effectively at the federal level either. The State Council would be in a position to deal with those problems.
Putin also addressed increasing wages and pensions so everyone regardless of station could afford good living conditions. Currently the average wage of $1,600 per month in Moscow has the same purchasing power as $6,000 in Chicago. There are also proposed changes to what's called "maternal capital" to make having more than two children financially attractive. All of these proposed amendments will be implemented not at the decision of the Duma or the President but by the citizens voting in a referendum.
In the restructuring of the new Russian government the entire "sovereignist" faction remains intact while the "integrationist" faction has either been demoted or moved to positions with less power and influence. Dmitry Medvedev has been granted a technical position as Vice Chairman of the Security Council, an organization that will be subordinate to the new State Council.
As much as the media and so-called "experts" in the west try to twist these events to fit their established narrative, Putin seems to have secured his place in history. While Donald Trump vowed to "drain the swamp" but has instead been more than happy to swim in it, Putin actually did it without violence or Stalin-like purges and shadowy executions. It just took a long forward-thinking game of chess.
Sources and further reading:
"Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly": http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/62582
"Russian Government 101: How Does It Work and What's About to Change?" by Egor Efimchik: https://sputniknews.com/russia/202001151078046470-russian-government-101-how-did-it-work-and-whats-about-to-change/
"Life After Putin" by Dmity Orlov: http://cluborlov.blogspot.com/2020/01/life-after-putin.html#more
"Putin Proposes Changes to Constitution, Medvedev Resigns: What's Going On?" by Natylie Baldwin: https://consortiumnews.com/2020/01/19/putin-proposes-changes-to-constitution-medvedev-resigns-whats-going-on/#comments
"Could this (finally!) be the end for the Atlantic Integrationists?" by The Saker: http://thesaker.is/could-this-finally-be-the-end-for-the-atlantic-integrationists/
"The new Russian government: a much needed evolution but not a revolution" by The Saker: http://thesaker.is/the-new-russian-government-a-much-needed-evolution-but-not-a-revolution/