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Why did Vladimir Putin's cabinet resign? 4:27
(CNN) - When the entire Russian government resigned on Wednesday, even long-term Kremlin observers were taken by surprise.
Earlier in the day, Vladimir Putin had announced his plan to push for reforms that would make his successor as president less powerful, redistributing power so that the Russian parliament and the prime minister's office have more influence.
He thanked the members of the Government who resigned for his service, but said that "not everything worked."
Over the past two years, Putin's approval ratings have fallen, partly as a result of unpopular pension reforms and a stagnant economy. 2019 was also plagued by street protests over municipal elections, as Russia's fragmented opposition expressed dissatisfaction with what they see as a president and a ruling elite that has stayed longer than expected.
However, as the exact details of this massive resignation, led by the current Prime Minister and former President Dmitry Medvedev, were revealed, it was clear that this was not a protest over the reforms proposed by Putin.
In his statement about the resignation of the government, Medvedev said he was doing it to make Putin's life easier.
He said that the president had "outlined a series of fundamental changes in the Constitution" and that "in this context, it is obvious that we, as the Government ... should give the president of our country the opportunity to make all necessary decisions for this."
These changes appear to be a redistribution of power, granting Parliament the power to appoint the prime minister, who will then designate a cabinet that will be approved by Parliament. In Putin's own words: “In this case, the president will be obliged to name them; that is to say, it will not have the right to reject the candidacies approved by the Parliament ”.
The Russian constitution prohibits Putin from running for re-election as president in 2024. However, there is nothing preventing him from becoming prime minister, as he did in 2008, when he and Medvedev exchanged their duties for four years.
"My personal opinion is that this is a union between Putin and Medvedev," said Valeriy Akimenko, a long-term Russian analyst currently working for the Conflict Studies Research Center. “Medvedev was not an independent figure in any sense of the imagination and made no gesture against Putin during his time as president. As was the case in 2008, this seems like a mutual agreement between the two. ”
Not all analysts believe it is inevitable that Putin will eventually settle as prime minister. Oleg Ignatov of the Center for Current Policy, a group of experts based in Moscow, notes that Putin also spoke about changing the constitutional role of the State Council of Russia, an advisory body to the head of state.
"There are rumors that Putin could lead the new State Council instead of becoming the new prime minister," Ignatov told CNN. “If this happens, it is possible that your word is the last word. You will not be interested in technical details, but everything will be under your control. ”
Akimenko agreed that this type of role could play in favor of Putin: “The future role of the State Council is currently undefined, but it could be an arbitrator, which means that when there is a dispute, the State Council could have one last word. "
"However, I think Putin becoming prime minister is still much more likely."
Whatever the result, a narrative of Putin is already emerging consolidating his control over power. Alexi Navalny, Russia's most notorious opposition leader, tweeted that "remaining the only leader for life, taking possession of an entire country and appropriating wealth for him and his friends is the sole objective of Putin and his regime."
By taking steps to strengthen his control over power, Putin is also sending a message to the world in general. More Putin in Russia means more Putin on the international stage. And if recent years have taught us something, that means that Russia is willing to do everything possible to act as a direct rival to influence the world order led by the United States and create more headaches for the United States and its allies.
Mary Ilyushina of CNN contributed to this analysis from Moscow.
Vladimir Putin
