“If it arises in the Constitution”: Putin allowed for a new presidential term

Russian leader Vladimir Putin admitted that he could once again run for president if the relevant amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation are adopted. He spoke about this in an interview with Pavel Zarubin for the film “Russia. Kremlin. Putin "on the channel" Russia-1 ".

“I haven’t decided anything yet. I do not exclude the possibility of this - if it arises in the Constitution - the possibility of running for office. We'll see. It will be seen there, ”said the head of state.

At the same time, Putin said what could be the consequences if the amendments are not adopted.

“You know, I’ll say absolutely frankly now: if this doesn’t happen, in two years, I know this from my own experience, instead of normal, rhythmic work at very many levels of power, yawing in search of possible successors will begin,” the president emphasized, adding that "we must work, not seek successors."

Recall that on January 15, Vladimir Putin, during the annual appeal to the Federal Assembly, introduced a number of constitutional amendments to the discussion concerning both social and political issues. Speaking about initiatives related to the activities of the president, he, in particular, proposed including in the Constitution a requirement for people applying for the presidency: they must live in Russia for at least 25 years and not have foreign citizenship. 

In addition, the leader of the country proposed to entrust the State Duma not only with approval, but also with the approval of the prime minister. In this case, the President will not have the right to reject the approved candidacy, and the head of state should carry out the appointment of the heads of law enforcement agencies after consultations with the Federation Council. He also proposed to strengthen the role of the Constitutional Court, giving it the right, at the request of the president, to verify the constitutionality of bills and other documents. At the same time, Putin noted that Russia will remain a presidential republic - the president must retain the right to remove the prime minister and government. The head of state also said that the package of amendments will be submitted to a nationwide vote.

Later, a deputy from United Russia, Valentina Tereshkova, proposed amending the country's fundamental law by abolishing the restrictions on the number of presidential terms, or adopting an amendment that would allow the current head of state to take part in the election for this post after the new version of the Constitution came into force. Vladimir Putin, commenting on the proposal, noted that this is possible only if citizens support the initiative. He also added that this issue should be assessed by the Constitutional Court.

On March 16, the Constitutional Court (CC) declared the proposed amendments to the Constitution legal. Including this concerns the prohibition of the same person to occupy the post of president for more than two terms. Moreover, the number of terms of the current head of state will not be taken into account. The Constitutional Court considered that, since the changes are approved during the vote, this gives additional constitutional legitimacy to this paragraph.

Spokesman for the Russian leader Dmitry Peskov explained that Putin’s participation in the presidential election scheduled for 2024 will depend on a number of factors, such as the situation in the world economy, the consequences of coronavirus and regional conflicts.

“The situation in the world is well known, it is very, very turbulent, if not extremely turbulent. In such difficult years, some countries decided on the possibility for the incumbent president to continue on his way, ”said Peskov.

Also, Vladimir Putin, during a meeting with representatives of the Crimean public in March, talking about the amendments, clarified that we are not talking about changing the basic law of the country. 

“After all, we do not change the Constitution; we only make additions there. Chapters 1, 2, 9 do not change, which are the foundation of the Constitution itself, which reflects the fundamental rights of citizens, but nonetheless, life goes on and on: both technologically and politically, our society is changing, the society has become more mature, more demanding. ” - he declared. 

The all-Russian vote was scheduled for April 22, but later, due to the threat of the spread of coronavirus, it was postponed to a later date. During a meeting with the working group on June 1, Putin announced that a vote on constitutional amendments would be scheduled for July 1.

The head of Rospotrebnadzor Anna Popova also said that the agency is not against holding a vote on July 1 subject to epidemiological safety standards.

In connection with the voting, this day in Russia will be declared a day off.

It is worth noting that on June 12, during the ceremony on the occasion of Russia Day on Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow, Putin recalled that for Russians the absolute value is respect for an inextricable centuries-old history, traditions and culture, as well as preserving the memory of ancestors, honoring parents, families, love for their land and the inviolability of Russian borders.

The President emphasized that these foundations determine the nature and fate of the Russian people, the development of the country today and in the future.

“And because it is natural that proposals so often sounded to introduce these fundamental, core principles into the Constitution of Russia. I am convinced that the absolute majority of our citizens share and support this position, ”Putin said.

The president also expressed hope that citizens will take an active part in voting on amendments to the Constitution. He recalled that we are talking about the basic law of the country, which will determine the basic legal guarantees, as well as the principles of relations with international partners of Russia.