Welcome, Prime Minister Putin « The Tiger at Home

Welcome, Prime Minister Putin

May 8, 2008 · 11 Comments

The trained seals, I mean, party-list deputies, of the Duma have voted 392-56 to confirm VVP as prime minister.

Categories: Election 2008 · Russia

11 responses so far ↓

Josh // May 8, 2008 at 10:23 am

Hmm. Now that Medvedev is Putin’s putative boss (sorry, I didn’t *intend* that alliteration), what happens in the event of a conflict between the two? Putin has the power base, but Medvedev has the de jure power, so if they have a falling out, what then? It seems a potentially problematic situation, but I confess that I don’t know enough details to say.
Ben // May 8, 2008 at 11:12 am

Here’s one consideration: it takes a 2/3 vote in the Duma to impeach a president and install the PM as acting president.

Putin’s got the whip hand here — the United Russia majority is larger than that.
Alan // May 8, 2008 at 11:23 am

Do you know anything about the word “consecutive” in the Russian constitution on this point? It would be interesting to know whether Putin is barred from the full term or if he can now claim that there is a gap in the sequence of the consequtiveness.
Ben // May 8, 2008 at 11:38 am

Russia has a constitutional court.

It means whatever those nine justices think it means.

(And they’re a surprisingly independent lot. Or, at least, they were in the mid-1990s…)

But when the PM becomes interim president, he has to hold new presidential elections, so it isn’t that big a deal. He’s just caretaker while the three month campaign goes on. (As in 2000, when Yeltsin resigned.)
Josh // May 8, 2008 at 11:38 am

That’s food for thought. The next question is simply that, now that Medvedev is installed, is he not in more of a position to secure allies in the Duma than is Putin? It’s certainly a very *interesting* situation. I suppose it depends on to what degree Medvedev’s mindset changes (or doesn’t change) with his position.
Ben // May 8, 2008 at 11:41 am

It’s very possible — we certainly didn’t see Putin’s role coming, when Yeltsin put him in.

I wonder. Because from what I know of Medvedev, I like him — talks a good game about liberalism and all that. But he might just be a figurehead & not a real source of power.
MichaelB // May 8, 2008 at 12:31 pm

Putin is old school. If Medvedev gets out of line, there’s always the polonium, er, bad sushi option.
Homin Lee // May 8, 2008 at 12:45 pm

Putin will be fine…but if you think about all those institutional vestiges of super-presidency, the situation may indeed get more intriguing, depending on the political acumen of Medvedev.

But nah….KGB cronies have it locked up.
Josh // May 8, 2008 at 3:42 pm

Ah, but said cronies may have it in mind to use Medvedev for their own purposes against Putin for whatever reason. (I think I’m too into mediaeval historical fiction…)
Ben // May 8, 2008 at 3:48 pm

When you’re dealing with Russian politics, honestly, mediaeval historical fiction isn’t too bad a guide.
Homin Lee // May 8, 2008 at 8:24 pm

Haha. Yes, indeed.