Named Prime Minister on August 9, 1999 by Boris Yeltsin, Vladimir Putin intended to return to the Russian people, his national pride. Twenty years later, the strong man of the country, popular for having restored the Moscow square on the international scene, seems determined to keep the reins of power with ever more firmness.
Boris Yeltsin announces on August 9, 1999 that he appoints the director of the FSB, Vladimir Putin, as head of the government. Twenty years later, the native of St. Petersburg governs more than ever without sharing https://t.co/rB92nhYWuf #AFP pic.twitter.com/VmCzYgc3Iy
Agence France-Presse (@afpfr) August 8, 2019A growing challenge
Director of Russian secret services (FSB), then head of government before being elected president of Russia in 2008, Vladimir Putin has built in twenty years of being able to have a reputation as a tough man. As soon as he is elected president, he strives to modernize the country, while slowing down the freedom of expression of the media and citizens.
>> Read also: Hundreds of arrests during an opposition demonstration in Moscow
Re-elected head of state in 2018, after having left his place for a term in Dmitry Medvedev, the native of St. Petersburg is however increasingly weakened in the face of growing opposition from the opposition, which calls for free elections.