The Castling of Presidential Functions by Vladimir Putin

Abstract

For years, there was speculation as to how Vladimir V. Putin would hold on to power in Russia after his second term in office as state president expired in 2008. After all, the probability that this still very energetic, healthy politician, who at that time was just 56 years old, would play by the democratic rules and withdraw from the nerve centre of political power was generally regarded as being very low. From the numerous ways of retaining power, Putin opted in the autumn of 2007 to castle the presidential offices. He rejected a change in the constitution that would have enabled his re-election as state president, and on 1 October 2007 declared himself willing, as he was being celebrated as the “leader of the entire nation” to be a leading candidate for the “United Russia” (Yedinaya Rossiya) party, even though he did not become a party member. Thanks to the support from the president in the elections on 2 December 2007, which were neither free nor fair, the party achieved an overwhelming victory, with 64.3 % of the vote and more than two-thirds of the seats in the Duma. This victory, alongside the election of a “decent, capable and modern person” to the post of state president, was given by Putin as a precondition for his willingness to take over office as prime minister.