Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected the title of „tsar“ for himself. „This is not at all reality,“ said Putin in an interview published today with the official news agency TASS. „I work every day, I don’t rule,“ said Putin.
A tsar is „someone who sits down, looks down from above and says: ‚I command, and they execute‘, while trying on a hat and looking at itself in the mirror“. The interview was already started in February.
Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny immediately responded on Twitter: „The Tsar says that he is not a Tsar.“ At the weekend, Putin signed a far-reaching constitutional reform. It gives him the opportunity to run for two more terms after his term ends in 2024. So far, a Russian president can only serve two terms. On April 22, voters are expected to vote on the plans.
With the new constitution coming into force, the previous terms would no longer be counted, and Putin could run again in the presidential elections in 2024 and 2030 and thus remain in office until 2036. The Russian opposition accuses the incumbent of wanting to become „president for life“.
