Russian elections

[Dunenewt]

Vastly overshadowed by the US elections, these are happening quite soon.  I guess its we all know Putin's man is going to win though.  Just wondering, Putin is going to be Prime Minister, but I read that at the moment they are debating whether he can be President again.  The argument is whether the rule is no more than two terms, or no more than two consecutive terms.

I also read that the current Minister for Defence...Sergei Ivanov I think his name is...is also a possible Presidential candidate for the future.

[Andrew]

So how is it that some countries have a President and Prime Minister?

Who is in charge? Is PM directly under President?

I'm used to Canada with PM, and US with President.

[Dunenewt]

France has a President and a Prime Minister.  I'm sure the President has more power than the Prime Minister.

[Edric O]

Hehe, I was wondering if someone was going to post a topic about this. The reason why you don't hear much news about the Russian presidential elections is because everyone already knows the result: Medvedev is going to win by a landslide thanks to Putin's endorsement.

They already had parliamentary results last December, and of course United Russia (Putin's party) secured an overwhelming majority:

http://www.parties-and-elections.de/russia.html

One thing you don't often hear in the West is the fact that the Communists are by far the largest opposition party.

Just wondering, Putin is going to be Prime Minister, but I read that at the moment they are debating whether he can be President again. The argument is whether the rule is no more than two terms, or no more than two consecutive terms.

The strange thing is that since 2003, United Russia and Putin's other allies had enough seats in the Duma to change the constitution. Putin could have passed an amendment at any time to remove term limits and allow himself to run for President a third time. But he hasn't. I have no idea why. There would have been no popular backlash (since he is incredibly popular in Russia). Yes, the West would have complained and cried about dictatorship, but they're doing that anyway (and they're right, of course; Putin does hold dictatorial powers, but that is still an improvement over the lawless Yeltsin years).

Why is Putin going for the office of Prime Minister when there is so little power associated with it? Is he going to try to establish an informal power hierarchy, with himself ruling through charisma and personal connections rather than legal authority? That is a dangerous game to play. Stalin pulled it off, but he was, after all, Stalin...

[Edric O]

So how is it that some countries have a President and Prime Minister?

Who is in charge? Is PM directly under President?

Many countries have both a President and a PM. In fact, the majority of European countries do.

The way it usually works is that either the President or the PM has the real power (depending on the country) and the other office is mostly ceremonial. In most cases the Prime Minister has the power and the President is just a figurehead, like the monarch in a constitutional monarchy. Germany has a President, for example, but you never hear about him because he is powerless and the person who matters is the Chancellor (= Prime Minister). In Russia, by contrast, the President has all the power - including the power to appoint and dismiss Prime Ministers at will - and the Prime Minister has always been an obedient puppet (which is why it's so weird for Putin to want to be PM).

France is a special case, because the President and Prime Minister have roughly equal amounts of power, which can lead to power struggles if they are from different parties.

[Tatar Khan]

Communist party in Russia has good support right now because there are a lot of people who lived during Soviet Era and liked it and so support the communist party because they want that era to return. However as they age and die off the support will decrease as the never generations are not too interested in communism and do not see Soviet Era as a good time.

Back in the day during 1990s the communist party had even more support, it had enough support that its leader and Yeltsin had to have a second round of voting to determine who will be the new president.

[nemafakei]

In Germany, for example, the President has about as much influence as the Queen in the UK (or Governor General in Canada): Technically quite a lot, but in practice, it's largely formalities.

[Dunenewt]

Well knowing Putin he will be the "power behind the throne".

[Sneakgab]

Is Putin popular because he's a good president or because he replaced a bad one? (who may have been a dictator rather than a president, but bleh for the technical correctness of that sentence)

We have this syndrome to an extent here in SA

[Anathema]

Many countries have both a President and a PM. In fact, the majority of European countries do.

The way it usually works is that either the President or the PM has the real power (depending on the country) and the other office is mostly ceremonial. In most cases the Prime Minister has the power and the President is just a figurehead, like the monarch in a constitutional monarchy. Germany has a President, for example, but you never hear about him because he is powerless and the person who matters is the Chancellor (= Prime Minister). In Russia, by contrast, the President has all the power - including the power to appoint and dismiss Prime Ministers at will - and the Prime Minister has always been an obedient puppet (which is why it's so weird for Putin to want to be PM).

France is a special case, because the President and Prime Minister have roughly equal amounts of power, which can lead to power struggles if they are from different parties.

In France the selection of ministers is at the discretion of the President, and most of the time the Prime Minister acts pretty much as his right hand. What sets France apart from the USA is that "the government" (read: the ministers) can be sacked if they lose the confidence of the assembly, like in a parliamentary system. If the President is of the same party as the majority of the assembly, he can basicly appoint and sack any minister he wants. Only in cohabitation situations can the prime minister really stand up to the president.

That's why they call it a semi-presidential system, though if you're a cynic you can call it an elective monarchy as well.

Don't know about Russia, I imagine that the theoretical framework of the government is more similar to the USA.

[Caid Ivik]

http://www.medvedev2008.ru/

At least new school. Have you ever thought that Putin could simply feel he had enough of standard politics? Putin had done - and surely also riped enough. He set a quite authoritative course for the state, but still, it is fully pragmatical, without any ideology. I guess he won't be different as a person ;)  Altough I don't know if Medvedev will be able to act as a dominant ruler without recalling the "Putin's blessing".

[Dunenewt]

Medvedev will just be Putin's puppet, until he comes to power again, and if he can't come to power, then Ivanov will take over after two terms of Medvedev.

[Edric O]

Have you ever thought that Putin could simply feel he had enough of standard politics?

That's a possibility... I've heard people wondering every now and then, what if Putin really does intend to give up power? I think it's unlikely; few people achieve such great power and then willingly step down. But it is at least theoretically possible. We will have to wait and see.

I'm more interested in the evolution of relations between Russia and the West. Russia is a shadow of its former self, hardly even a great power any more, let alone a superpower. Could it regain some of its lost status and influence?

Communist party in Russia has good support right now because there are a lot of people who lived during Soviet Era and liked it and so support the communist party because they want that era to return. However as they age and die off the support will decrease as the never generations are not too interested in communism and do not see Soviet Era as a good time.

That is a real problem. The Communist Party of the Russian Federation is not doing a good job of attracting young supporters - indeed, no political party seems to be able to attract young supporters, and Russia's youth is mostly apolitical. The Russian Communists should look less to the past and more to the future, and make a real effort to appeal to young people. For instance, they could use something along the lines of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_uJmMgef0A

Still, no matter what they do, they look set to remain Russia's second-largest party in the forseeable future.

Back in the day during 1990s the communist party had even more support, it had enough support that its leader and Yeltsin had to have a second round of voting to determine who will be the new president.

Right. And they did not put that support to good use, which was a real pity. They allowed Putin to steal a lot of their supporters.

Is Putin popular because he's a good president or because he replaced a bad one? (who may have been a dictator rather than a president, but bleh for the technical correctness of that sentence)

Both reasons, I think. By Russian standards, Putin is a relatively good president, and the guy he replaced - Yeltsin - was among the worst leaders in the entire history of Russia.

[SpiceGuid]

I'm more interested in the evolution of relations between Russia and the West.

Tell me where Russia can stop german expansionism and i will tell you how great russian power really is. My opinion about the tendancy is russian influence can only grow as german leadership can only fade. That's how i interpret the erosion of french economy, it seems to me Germany is less efficient at sustaining us as the balance slowly goes to the East.

Seriously, why to invade Poland when you can simply buy it ?

In the grander scheme of things countries now are products and world is the market.

May be one day Russia will be rich enough and then it will buy Poland back.

[Dude_Doc]

Now that I think of it, isn't Putin involved in Gazprom too? Also, the Russian law forbids the president to hold another post, so maybe there are something in the minister post after all.

[Dunenewt]

Apparently Putin might take over Medvedev's role in Gazprom.

[Sneakgab]

What happens to the populace of a territory that is sold to one country from another? Do they merely change citizenship? I suppose it wouldn't be a big deal for a place like Alaska... What other territorial transactions have taken place?

[Dunenewt]

That's a bit random.  In Alaska's case, the only Russians there were merchants really.  There was no real big permanent Russian populations.

[Dante]

As I recall from history class, nobody really bothered asking any of the people that actually lived there...

[Dunenewt]

Does anyone disagree with me that Medvedev will be nothing more than a puppet President?

[Tatar Khan]

Alaska when it was sold did not have much of population and what happened is that the Russian population mostly left. There was a significant population of Russians who were a mix of merchants, ship builders, mariners and soldiers. By the time the Russians were out of Alaska they managed to exterminate the local aboriginal population.

As for Medvedev we will see, it all will depend how Medvedev will play the political game and how Putin can keep the power behind him to command Medvedev. Right now it looks like the Medvedev would be a puppet but only time will tell.

[Sneakgab]

''There was no real big permanent Russian populations.''

''I suppose it wouldn't be a big deal for a place like Alaska... What other territorial transactions have taken place?''

Ie: have any other territories changed hands internationally via purchase other than Alaska?

''By the time the Russians were out of Alaska they managed to exterminate the local aboriginal population.''

Via forced emmigration? I'm assuming they didn't kill them all as you make it sound.

[Dunenewt]

Just out of interest, but what brought that up?

[Sneakgab]

Just curiousity

[Dunenewt]

There was the Louisana Purchase as well, where the US bought 1/3 of their current land from the French.