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Vladimir Putin (illustrative image). The Russian leader wants to go very quickly in the implementation of this reform. AFP

Less than a week after his speech to parliamentarians, Vladimir Putin released yesterday, Monday, January 20, the series of constitutional amendments he wishes to submit to the vote of deputies. An accelerated pace for a reform that could be adopted by spring 2020.

With our correspondent in Moscow,

Everything is going very quickly in Russia since the speech of Vladimir Putin , last week in front of the Parliament and the resignation of Dmitry Medevedev . The Russian president had promised a reform of the Constitution, and here already his proposals on the table, a series of amendments which were made public this Monday, January 20 on the website of the Duma, the Russian Parliament. Once again Vladimir Putin took everyone up a gear, because the formation of a working group responsible for working on these amendments augured a much slower timetable ... But obviously Vladimir Putin wants to go very quickly to the point that the Russian press expects a final adoption of this reform by spring 2020.

Role of parliament

In broad outline the proposed reform corresponds well to what Vladimir Putin said in his speech of January 15: Parliament will have a more important role to appoint the Prime Minister , provided that the powers of the President will remain considerable and will even be increased in certain areas. In addition, the number of mandates carried out in the Kremlin will be limited to two in total, and not two "consecutive" as indicated in the 1993 constitution. A subtlety that had allowed Vladimir Putin to represent himself in 2012, after an interruption of four years.

"Politburo"

But the article that will be dissected with great attention in the coming days is that concerning the Council of State, an institution that could allow Vladimir Putin to remain in power, beyond 2024 ... in any case according to some observers. In the amendment proposed by the Russian President, the fields of competence of this institution are both very broad and very vague; and nothing is specified on its composition and on the personality which will be brought to direct it. The sign perhaps that Valdimir Poutine intends to place himself at the head of this organization when his mandate comes to an end. According to a lawyer, quoted by the Russian site The Bell, this Council of State with "Putin sauce" could even become a kind of politburo recalling the Soviet era. A politburo that would oversee, in the new architecture, both the President and the Russian Parliament.

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