Vladimir Putin, Part Two
Everyone agrees that Vladimir Putin intends to hold on to power in Russia when his presidential term expires. What matters now is whether he will seek to institutionalize his power by building a dominant political party, like Japan's Liberal Democrats, or exercise it personally by changing the rules of the game.
LONDON -- Opinions about Vladimir Putin run the gamut. In the West, he is regarded as an “authoritarian,” an “autocrat,” even as a “dictator” while in Russia a huge majority regard him as the most “democratic” of leaders, on the grounds that he has done more than his predecessors to improve the lot of ordinary people. But there is one point on which both camps agree: Putin intends to remain in power indefinitely.
That conclusion stems from Putin’s recent statement that he might become prime minister after relinquishing the presidency next May. But, regardless of what Putin does, his personal influence and the strategic direction in which he has taken Russia will remain dominant for years to come.
Given this reality, what matters now is how this “Putin system” will work, which will depend on institutional frameworks and practices. At stake, both for Russia and the wider world, are stability and legitimacy, hence the prospects for steady political and economic modernization.
LONDON -- Opinions about Vladimir Putin run the gamut. In the West, he is regarded as an “authoritarian,” an “autocrat,” even as a “dictator” while in Russia a huge majority regard him as the most “democratic” of leaders, on the grounds that he has done more than his predecessors to improve the lot of ordinary people. But there is one point on which both camps agree: Putin intends to remain in power indefinitely.
That conclusion stems from Putin’s recent statement that he might become prime minister after relinquishing the presidency next May. But, regardless of what Putin does, his personal influence and the strategic direction in which he has taken Russia will remain dominant for years to come.
Given this reality, what matters now is how this “Putin system” will work, which will depend on institutional frameworks and practices. At stake, both for Russia and the wider world, are stability and legitimacy, hence the prospects for steady political and economic modernization.