The entire Russian government is resigning

[carmenere]

www.cnn.com/2020/01/15/europe/russian-government-resigns-vladimir-putin-reforms-intl/index.html

Moscow, Russia (CNN)The entire Russian government is resigning, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced Wednesday, after President Vladimir Putin proposed reforms that would weaken his successor.

...
The surprise announcement came after Putin proposed constitutional amendments that would transfer some powers from the office of the presidency to the prime minister and parliament.

Handing parliament more power at the expense of presidential authority could signal a power shift that has been long speculated about in Russia.


Putin's critics have suggested that he is considering various scenarios to remain in power after 2024, including the option of becoming prime minister with extended powers. Similarly, in 2008 Putin swapped places with the prime minister to circumvent the constitutional provision banning the same person from serving two consecutive terms.

[gault]

This isn't normal, right?

[eponinepontmercy]

"Successor"

HAHAHA - that's funny that CNN thinks there's going to be a successor.

[rupertpenny]

They're still pretending they have term limits?

[anodyne]

Hasn't he done something like this before? His term comes up, he becomes prime minister, puts a puppet in as president, then takes back the presidency after a term?

[wawa]

I'm...so confused. I think the use of the word government is what's got me here. Is this like the UK usage when they say "forming a government" and I'm like "the fuck? Youve had one for some time!".

Who is actually resigning?

I mean, whatever this is it's clearly dictator Putin just putting on a new hat to continue to pretend he's anything other than what he is, but...also what the fuck is this?

[picksthemusic]

Huh. Showing 45 how to stay in office longer, is he?

[carmenere]

Jan 15, 2020 10:18:15 GMT -5 wawa said:

I'm...so confused. I think the use of the word government is what's got me here. Is this like the UK usage when they say "forming a government" and I'm like "the fuck? Youve had one for some time!".

Who is actually resigning?

I mean, whatever this is it's clearly dictator Putin just putting on a new hat to continue to pretend he's anything other than what he is, but...also what the fuck is this?

My understanding is that "government" means prime minister, parliament and cabinet.

eponinepontmercy technically he'll have a "successor" as president (in name only) but he's setting himself up to be PM and have all the power consolidated in that role. I am really curious as to what comes next in the wake of parliament resigning. Will Putin or his puppets just appoint whoever he wants? Or will there have to be a (probably rigged) election for every seat? Will he use his absolute control of parliament to change the constitution? Abolish term limits?

And yes picksthemusic I am sincerely afraid that he's giving 45 ideas.

[cattledogkisses]

Jan 15, 2020 10:31:12 GMT -5 carmenere said:

Jan 15, 2020 10:18:15 GMT -5 wawa said:

I'm...so confused. I think the use of the word government is what's got me here. Is this like the UK usage when they say "forming a government" and I'm like "the fuck? Youve had one for some time!".

Who is actually resigning?

I mean, whatever this is it's clearly dictator Putin just putting on a new hat to continue to pretend he's anything other than what he is, but...also what the fuck is this?

My understanding is that "government" means prime minister, parliament and cabinet.

eponinepontmercy technically he'll have a "successor" as president (in name only) but he's setting himself up to be PM and have all the power consolidated in that role. I am really curious as to what comes next in the wake of parliament resigning. Will Putin or his puppets just appoint whoever he wants? Or will there have to be a (probably rigged) election for every seat? Will he use his absolute control of parliament to change the constitution? Abolish term limits?

And yes picksthemusic I am sincerely afraid that he's giving 45 ideas.

I thought this too but I doubt he has the slightest clue how a parliamentary government works.

[DotAndBuzz]

Jan 15, 2020 10:25:56 GMT -5 picksthemusic said:

Huh. Showing 45 how to stay in office longer, is he?

I mean, that's sort of already happened here. 

People with any semblance of ability to inject restraint into the administration have resigned, clearing the way for those positions to be filled with people who are loyal to 45, not the Constitution.

This is why is is crucial we take back the senate and hold the House in 2020, no matter what happens with the White House. The other checks and balances are crumbling - if we lose the legislature, we're fucked. Like, not just in an "ugh, I don't like the new tax code" fucked, but in a "we may lose our democracy entirely" fucked.

[carmenere]

Jan 15, 2020 10:40:12 GMT -5 cattledogkisses said:

Jan 15, 2020 10:31:12 GMT -5 carmenere said:

My understanding is that "government" means prime minister, parliament and cabinet.

eponinepontmercy technically he'll have a "successor" as president (in name only) but he's setting himself up to be PM and have all the power consolidated in that role. I am really curious as to what comes next in the wake of parliament resigning. Will Putin or his puppets just appoint whoever he wants? Or will there have to be a (probably rigged) election for every seat? Will he use his absolute control of parliament to change the constitution? Abolish term limits?

And yes picksthemusic I am sincerely afraid that he's giving 45 ideas.

I thought this too but I doubt he has the slightest clue how a parliamentary government works.

I'm sure he doesn't (he doesn't even have the capacity to read a dumbed-down briefing about it). For Trump, the TLDR is that packing the legislature with loyalists can clear the way to absolute power for an indefinite term. Like DotAndBuzz said, the future of our democracy hinges on not allowing that to happen.

ETA: For anyone interested in Putin's backstory, I highly recommend listening to the Throughline podcast episode about it

www.npr.org/2019/03/11/702377680/the-moth

[Michelle]

Jan 15, 2020 10:31:12 GMT -5 carmenere said:

Jan 15, 2020 10:18:15 GMT -5 wawa said:

I'm...so confused. I think the use of the word government is what's got me here. Is this like the UK usage when they say "forming a government" and I'm like "the fuck? Youve had one for some time!".

Who is actually resigning?

I mean, whatever this is it's clearly dictator Putin just putting on a new hat to continue to pretend he's anything other than what he is, but...also what the fuck is this?

My understanding is that "government" means prime minister, parliament and cabinet.

eponinepontmercy technically he'll have a "successor" as president (in name only) but he's setting himself up to be PM and have all the power consolidated in that role. I am really curious as to what comes next in the wake of parliament resigning. Will Putin or his puppets just appoint whoever he wants? Or will there have to be a (probably rigged) election for every seat? Will he use his absolute control of parliament to change the constitution? Abolish term limits?

And yes picksthemusic I am sincerely afraid that he's giving 45 ideas.

This what seems to be happening. He is trying to basically make the Presidential seat a "spokesperson" with term limits, supporting the "will of the people" that the seat has term limits. Then he is trying to move to lead the Parliament. Appointment of the cabinet members would, under his proposal, fall to the Parliament, of which he will be the head. He will retain all the power but the country's citizens will see an elected figurehead who has no real power, but will have term limits.

He probably can't get the current parliament to agree to his proposal, so he (me opining only here) made them an offer they can't refuse - "resign, and do not argue against who i recommend for your replacement seat, and do the job until they take over, and i won't kill you or your entire family. Sound good?"

[Velar Fricative]

I know it's not the same, but it does remind me of when asshole sore loser GOP governors like Scott Walker moved to make their successor as powerless as possible once they left office. So maybe the GOP gave Putin this idea, lol. But Putin is just running with it to make whatever bullshit job he takes next that isn't called "President" be the most powerful job.

[Vespasia]

Yes, he has literally done this before. He hit the term limit for President in 2008, transferred power to the office of PM, served one term as PM, transferred power back to the presidency, and then took over the role again in 2012. He has effectively been ruling Russia for 20 years.

Medvedev "held" the presidency during his premiership and then went back to being PM. 

[cville]

Jan 15, 2020 11:34:03 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

I know it's not the same, but it does remind me of when asshole sore loser GOP governors like Scott Walker moved to make their successor as powerless as possible once they left office. So maybe the GOP gave Putin this idea, lol. But Putin is just running with it to make whatever bullshit job he takes next that isn't called "President" be the most powerful job.

No, it's the same.

[Velar Fricative]

Jan 15, 2020 11:52:34 GMT -5 cville said:

Jan 15, 2020 11:34:03 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

I know it's not the same, but it does remind me of when asshole sore loser GOP governors like Scott Walker moved to make their successor as powerless as possible once they left office. So maybe the GOP gave Putin this idea, lol. But Putin is just running with it to make whatever bullshit job he takes next that isn't called "President" be the most powerful job.

No, it's the same.

Yeah but thankfully Scott Walker doesn't seem to be running things in Wisconsin right now...I think. 

[msmerymac]

Jan 15, 2020 10:18:13 GMT -5 anodyne said:

Hasn't he done something like this before? His term comes up, he becomes prime minister, puts a puppet in as president, then takes back the presidency after a term?

Yeah, Medvedev is the one who served as President when Putin was "Prime Minister" and then they flipped back.

[secretlyevil]

I read a different article about this earlier in the week. Why do they even pretend to be a democracy? There was a quote from him about making sure the people were heard because that is what government was for. I’m paraphrasing obviously but it made me choke on my water.