Vladimir Putin intends to make major changes to the Russian constitution and overall power distribution within the government. Putin has been Russia’s president from 2000-2008, then 2012-2018;

He was re-elected in 2018, where he will remain in office until 2024, making him the longest-serving Russian president.

In his state-of-the-union address, Putin has expressed that he not only aims to amend the Russian constitution so that the total amount of terms a president can serve are capped at two but plans to grant more authority to the lower cabinet and prime minister at the expense of the president.

News sources speculate that once his term ends in 2024, Putin may run for prime minister, thus, indulging in the newfound power of the prime minister.

The Washington Post reported that the initiation of this plan began when previous Prime Minister, Dmitri Medvedev, along with the entire Russian government collectively resigning on January 15th.

Putin appointed Mikhail Mishustin – former head of Russia’s federal tax service – to be the new prime minister, who introduced an entirely new cabinet.

Regarding Putin’s orders to reconfigure the Russian government, Medvedev indicated in a televised statement that “…we, as the government … should provide the president of our country with the opportunity to make all the decisions necessary for this.”

As a semi-presidential system, Russia’s prime minister and cabinet currently operate under the president’s rule. Duma, Russia’s lower house of congress, has already passed the first round of amendments to the constitution.

Once finished, these upcoming changes to Russia’s government will be decided by a national referendum – where the electorate will vote to accept or reject the proposition.

Russian citizens who have been unsatisfied with Putin’s reign, and opposed to the idea of him maintaining control over Russia for many years to come, have conjured a petition that has gained over 22,000 signatures. However, the majority of Kremlins have not expressed strong opinions for or against the amendments.

It is not clear as to what Putin’s exact goals are; however, keeping ahold of certain forms of power is evident for the future, whether it is continued influence over military power, monitoring the media, and handling diplomatic relations.

This has been seen already when Putin changed the president’s four-year-term to six years in an amendment in 2008.

Regardless, the new two-term limit means Putin cannot be president after 2024, and a new leader will arise.

Additional amendments made to the constitution along with Putin’s potential transition to prime minister will no doubt play a crucial role in establishing the circumstances in which future Russian presidents will govern.