Photo by Ignat Kushanrev on Unsplash
A short History before Vladimir Putin’s reign
Russian Tsar Peter’s time in power in the 17th and 18th centuries, Russian Tsar Peter the Great established the Secret Council, which provided an advisory panel to the emperor. In the 18th century, Russian Tsar Peter III, who governed for six months, established another advisory body called the Imperial Council. Both have been made up of a small group of hand selected citizens who had the tsar’s total faith.
On the other side of the Atlantic, in the nineteenth century, one of the very first moves of Brazilian Emperor Dom Pedro I would be to establish for his newly independent state a constitutional process in which, in addition to the usual legislative, executive, and judicial powers, he would have a fourth power. As “moderator,” he would have special authority based on constitutional rights to balance policy between the different tiers of government. He would not only give advice, but he would also act immediately if something went wrong in the country, and he would fight to defend national glory.
Kazakhstan has aspects that are similar to his governmental role and power. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, one of the oldest leaders of a former Soviet republic, stepped down last year. He did not, however, lose all power as he had prepared the new political atmosphere by establishing a Security Council. Nazarbayev remained the all-powerful Security Council’s lifetime chairman, with authority and veto power over Kazakhstan’s president and senate.
Vladimir Putin’s Reign commencement
The reign of now-President Putin over the Russian people commenced in August 1999. Former Russian Federation President Boris Yeltsin appointed him as acting prime minister, but he unexpectedly resigned soon after, making Putin acting president. Putin was elected as president on the pledge of restoring Russia’s status as a Tier 1 nation on the world stage.
Putin, 69, is no strange person to the public eye, having ruled over the country for the majority of the twenty-first century. He has been in power since 2000, making him the Kremlin’s longest-serving leader since Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin died in 1953, as per BBC News. Putin’s first two terms as head of state were marred by multiple hostage crises and domestic militant attacks.In this time, Putin started unraveling election methods and breaking apart Russian financial institutions and media outlets.
Russian President Vladimir Putin shocked the world last month when he announced constitutional reforms aimed at redistributing power. This meant that his successor would be weakened, while parliament and the prospective prime minister would be given more duties and authority. This replacement showed that Putin wishes to be head of state again when his presidency ends in 2024 or that he wants to play a strong role of father of state.
Life has always been a special operation for Putin. Everything must be kept hidden, classified. His personal life, relatives, habits — everything has always been shrouded in secrecy, enveloped in rumors.
Not least because, soon after his first election as president in 2000, Putin established a State Council as an advisory body composed of the leaders of seven constituent territories representing each of Russia’s seven federal districts. The current State Council is only the country’s third in its history. It is the successor of the Soviet Union’s State Council, which was the successor of the Russian Empire’s State Council.
Putin appears to be slightly wary of day-to-day duties, but not of his desire to impose control over the government. Putin taking a new role as the head of the State Council with broader powers appears to be the most likely option, since he would then preside over Russia’s future while retaining legislative and executive powers. Putin, like other autocratic leaders in Iran, China, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, could be engaged in seeing Russia ruled by his own firm grip in the long term, even if it relates with the guise of presidential change.
Putin has criticized Mikhail Gorbachev for his role in the Soviet Union’s downfall, calling it the “greatest geopolitical disaster of the 20th century.” He does not want to play Russian roulette with his country’s future, and he is still eager for control over the government and policy while also being extremely careful. According to American diplomat Strobe Talbott, Putin’s aggressive military actions show that he does not want to be another Gorbachev, a man “who lost an empire,” or another Boris Yeltsin, whose laissez faire laws led rump state Russia down a path toward chaos, economic ruin, and diminished international standing.
Irrespective of the constitutional changes, one thing is for sure. Russia will not be much different after Putin leaves office. There will be even further aggressive incursions into Syria, Crimea, Chechnya, South Ossetia, and Eastern Ukraine. These actions have now placed American and European credibility on the line. Even the next four years will be difficult on a worldwide scale. It is not just because Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are setting the agenda and challenging Western democracy. The world order for the next decade will unquestionably initiate with the United States presidential election this fall, which would seem to be far more interesting than Russian or Chinese constitutional reforms.
Putinism is fated because it is an enemy of both freedom and democracy. Today, people have finally noticed this. He specifically targeted a free and democratic country because it is free and democratic. But he is doomed because the world of liberty and democracy is much higher than his dark and gloomy lair. He is condemned because all he wants is a new Middle Ages, corruption, lies, and the trampling of human rights. Because he symbolizes the past. And we must do everything in our best to maintain this monster — and his Pyramid of Power — in the past for all time.
