WHO WILL EVENTUALLY REPLACE VLADIMIR PUTIN?
By ELIZABETH MAXHAM
History - Science
In Russia, the leader is chosen by popular election, which means Vladimir Putin cannot technically choose his successor, unlike the Kim family in North Korea. However, Russia has only ever had three presidents, as it was previously led by various Soviet premiers, and monarchs before that.
Although the Presidents of Russia are elected, the constitution allows the sitting president to appoint a temporary successor at the end of their term. First Russian president Boris Yeltsin did this with Vladimir Putin, who was able to assume the office and gain recognition in the months leading up to the election.
Although Putin was originally supposed to leave office in 2024, the revised Russian constitution now allows him to stay President until 2036. Already in his late ‘60s, Putin is promoting like-minded politicians in an attempt to remain in power for life, while curbing opposition leaders like Alexei Navalny, who survived an alleged assassination attempt by Putin’s security group before being jailed.
Mikhail Mishustin, the current Russian PM, is supposed to take over if Putin dies or becomes incapacitated, although he is relatively unknown and lacks support. The future leadership of Russia remains a mystery, but Politico reports that the possible successors could be the Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin, defense minister Sergei Shoigu, or even a former bodyguard of Putin.