Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to give parliament more power with a constitutional reform. Among other things, the MPs should determine the Prime Minister in future, as Putin announced in a speech on the state of the nation today. In addition, the criteria for presidential candidates should be tightened. To this end, he proposed a constitutional referendum.
But he wanted to hold onto the strong presidential system. He did not give a date for a corresponding referendum. Critics accuse Putin of working to keep him in power beyond 2024, when his term as president ends and he has to step down under the constitution.
In addition to a constitutional amendment for a renewed candidacy, speculation was also made that Putin could give parliament more power and, as Prime Minister, could continue to govern with greater powers. In December, Putin was open to a constitutional reform that could limit the number of terms of office of a president.
He signaled that the number of presidential terms could in principle be limited to two. So far, the constitution has only limited the number of consecutive terms to two. Putin himself has been in power since 1999, either as president or as prime minister. His fourth term as president ends in 2024.
