Russia's Cabinet Reshuffle and Constitutional Amendments: A Tentative Overview of an Evolving Story

"Russia's Cabinet Reshuffle and Constitutional Amendments:  A Tentative Overview of an Evolving Story"

 

This coming Monday, Prof. Rudra Sil, of Penn's Political Science Department, will kick off an occasional presentation and discussion series on Russian political events. (Prof. Sil is teaching Russian Politics this semester and is an expert in the topic). 

 

For the first meeting, he will address the currently unfolding constitutional drama in Russia. On January 15, Vladimir Putin gave his annual State of the Nation address.  Among the priorities he outlined were a series of suggested amendments to the Constitution (ratified in 1993 under his predecessor Boris Yeltsin).  Within a few hours, the entire government -- the Prime Minister, Deputy Ministers, and many of the heads of the various ministries -- submitted their resignations to enable the formation of a new government.  What does all this imply for the future of Putin, whose term does not expire until 2024?  What are we to make of the new cabinet?  And, are the proposed amendments to be taken seriously - and as a sign of what exactly? 

 

The answers to these questions will not be clear for a while. Please attend Monday, January 27, from 4 to 4:45 pm, for an overview of events and discussion, in the lower-level Auditorium at the Perelman Center for Political Science & Economics (enter from across Cosi on 36th Street).