BEIJING, Jan. 17 (Xinhua)-On the 16th local time, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed Medvedev as acting prime minister, appointed him as the vice chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, and signed a presidential decree appointing Mishustin as the prime minister of the Russian government.
The day before, after Putin delivered a State of the Union address and suggested amending the Constitution to give the Russian State Duma (the lower house of parliament) more power in the process of forming a government cabinet, former Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced the collective resignation of the Russian government.
Image source: Weibo netizen comment screenshot
A series of sudden changes in Russian political circles have made netizens "puzzled" and asked "class representatives" to draw the key points.
In this regard, Zhongxin. com interviewed Zhang Hong, a researcher at the Russian Institute of Eastern Europe and Central Asia of the China Academy of Social Sciences, and Jiang Yi, a researcher at the China Academy of Social Sciences, to answer your questions.
[Is there a sudden "earthquake" in Russian politics? 】
"Russia Today" reported the news that Medvedev announced the collective resignation of the Russian government under the title of "Russia’s Political Earthquake". Is Russia really going to "change the weather"?
Zhang Hong gave a negative answer. "Russia’s political situation is very stable, Putin has high leadership, and his ruling team is very efficient and United. Within the ruling elite group, they have a general consensus."
Data map: Medvedev. China News Service reporter Liu Zhenshe
For the collective resignation of the Russian government, Zhang Hong gave three explanations. First, after Putin proposed constitutional reform and the balance of state administrative, judicial and legislative powers, Medvedev cooperated; The second is to create space for political newcomers; The third is to provide enough time for Putin’s reform, and also to lay out the political development of the "post-Putin era" after 2024.
This is a personnel consideration in Putin’s overall political reform. It should be said that there is an internal consensus, not a sudden decision, but a complete and meticulous arrangement, which is an important part of Putin’s new political reform plan. Zhang Hong said.
[What is Article 117 of the Russian Constitution? 】
Medvedev said that when Putin delivered his State of the Union address, he not only pointed out the priorities of the authorities, but also put forward many major amendments to the Russian Constitution. Medvedev said: "In this case, I believe that the Russian government should resign in accordance with Article 117 of the Russian Constitution."
So, what exactly does Article 117 of the Russian Constitution say?
Jiang Yi said, Article 1 of Article 117 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation stipulates that the government of the Russian Federation can submit its resignation, and the President can accept or reject this resignation.
The whole government includes cabinet members and ministers, including the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers. At present, all cabinet members are caretaker cabinets, waiting for the formation of a new government.
[Medvedev and Putin fell out? 】
Medvedev took the post of Russian Prime Minister for the first time in May 2012, and it has been nearly eight years since then, making him the longest-serving person in Russian history.
Putin and Medvedev have always been the "golden combination" in Russian politics. Although after Medvedev announced the resignation of the government, Putin thanked the government for its work and asked all government members to do their jobs well before the new government was established. But there are still many voices speculating, are the old partners in conflict?
In this regard, Zhang Hong denied it. He said that the constitutional reform should give parliament more power and change the president’s absolute dominance in the country’s political life. If Medvedev does not resign, the government will contradict the Constitution. Therefore, Medvedev’s resignation is not "against" Putin, but paves the way for constitutional reform and creates a more harmonious political atmosphere.
[After resigning, where does Medvedev go? 】
On January 16, local time, the Russian President’s website announced that President Putin signed a presidential decree, appointed Medvedev as the vice chairman of the Russian Federal Security Council, and dismissed Medvedev as acting prime minister.
The Security Council of the Russian Federation is a powerful advisory body, which is mainly responsible for advising the President on national security affairs, with the Russian President as its chairman.
Jiang Yi pointed out that Medvedev will assist the President in matters such as national defense, industry and national security, continue to participate in the work of the national decision-making level, and play an auxiliary role.
[What is the position of the new Prime Minister? 】
Shortly after Medvedev resigned as prime minister, his successor was announced. On 16th, Putin signed an order appointing Mishustin as the new prime minister.
Mishustin, 53, who received a doctorate in economics, started his political career in August 1998 when he was appointed as the deputy director of the Russian Federal Taxation Bureau. In 2008, Mishustin resigned from the government and became the president of UFG, responsible for asset management and private equity. Subsequently, in 2010, he returned to the government department and served as the director of the federal tax bureau.
Sputnik said that Mishustin is a real "technology flow" and a pioneer in transforming the corrupt tax department with rampant bureaucracy into a modern technical institution adopting advanced international experience.
Who will be elected to the new government? 】
The name Mishustin sounds strange. Zhang Hong said that since Putin has appointed a person who is not well-known in politics as prime minister, the new government may employ a large number of new people, at least in the economic field.
However, in key positions, such as diplomacy, security, national defense, etc., personnel will not change much and rely more on the "old people" in Putin’s team.
[Why does Russia want to amend the Constitution? 】
On 15th, when Putin delivered his State of the Union address, he called on Russian citizens to vote on the proposed package of constitutional amendments.
According to the current Russian Constitution, the President appoints the Prime Minister with the consent of the State Duma, and appoints deputy prime ministers and ministers according to the proposal of the Prime Minister. Putin proposed to give the State Duma the power to determine the candidate for the Prime Minister, and then according to the Prime Minister’s proposal, the State Duma approved the candidate for the cabinet, and the President must appoint the candidate proposed by the State Duma.
Zhang Hong explained that this reform focuses on the future, not a strategic change, but a technical adjustment, which will make the Russian political system healthier and more perfect.
"Reform will make Russia’s entire power structure more balanced, and the basic political framework of the presidential system will not change." Jiang Yi said that there are still four years before the end of President Putin’s term of office in 2024. How Russia will go next and ensure the stability of the country’s operation under the premise of unchanged policy direction is something that the country’s political forces are considering.
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