Russian President Putin Announces Resignation of Government Amidst Restructuring

Today, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced “the resignation of the Government of the Russian Federation”. The resignations come amidst Russian President Putin’s call for “drastic changes to the political system” in his Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly. President Putin’s address “proposed amendments [which] concern substantial changes in the political system and the work of the executive, legislative and judicial branches” of which he believes “it necessary to hold a vote of Russian citizens on the entire package of the proposed amendments” to determine its implementation.

Among Putin’s suggested changes include requiring government officials such as deputy prime ministers, federal ministers, and judges to “have no foreign citizenship or residence permit or any other document that allows them to live permanently in a foreign state.”

Additionally, to address the “divide between the federal and municipal authorities” President Putin proposes a more “unified system of public authority [bridging the gap] between the federal and municipal authorities”. Towards this end, the President also pressed to “increase the role of governors in decision-making at the federal level.” Furthermore, to avoid “different local legislative systems in different regions”, regional prosecutors should be appointed by the President “following consultations with the Federation Council”; in contrast to how they currently “are appointed in coordination with regional legislative assemblies.”

Putin also remarked how the “Federal Assembly is ready to take more responsibility for forming the Government”. As such, he suggested “changing the procedure” for electing Government officials. Currently. the “President only receives the consent of the State Duma to appoint the Prime Minister, and then appoints the head of the Cabinet, his deputies and all the ministers.” President Putin proposes “allowing the State Duma to appoint the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, and then all deputy prime ministers and federal ministers at the Prime Minister’s recommendation.”

He also emphasized that the “president must undoubtedly retain the right to determine the Government’s tasks and priorities, as well as the right to dismiss the prime minister, his deputies and federal ministers in case of improper execution of duties or due to loss of trust.” Therefore, Putin considers “it necessary to stipulate in the Constitution the Federation Council’s authority to dismiss, on the proposal from the President, Constitutional and Supreme Court judges in the event of misconduct that defames a judge’s honour and dignity, as well as in other cases provided for by federal constitutional law”. “The president also exercises direct command over the Armed Forces and the entire law enforcement system”.

On the topic of “the constitutional provision under which one person cannot hold the post of the President of the Russian Federation for two successive terms”, Putin reiterated he does “not regard this as a matter of principle, but I nevertheless support and share this view.”