Putin's Biggest Surprise: Seeking a Strong Successor
His constitutional proposals make it clear Russia will still have a near-dictatorial presidency after he gives it up.
Towering figure.
Photographer: Alexey Nikolsky/AFP/Getty Images
“Party like a Russian — end of discussion,” go the lyrics to a song Robbie Williams was asked not to sing at the opening of the 2018 soccer World Cup in Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin is acting out the line: Just five days after he announced a major constitutional reform and formed a working group to design it, the proposed amendments were submitted to parliament.
If there’s any discussion after this, it can only be a farce. Putin is the principal source of Russia’s law and legal practice, and any further changes can only mean that he’s changed his mind about something or is indulging underlings by letting them alter insignificant details.