Rule until 2036 or step down and become a senator for life with immunity guaranteed. Those are the options that the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, has on the table today.
The truth is, the president has set out this week to calmly leave the Kremlin if he wants to by signing a law protecting former presidents from prosecution.
(In context: Putin enacts a law that will grant him immunity when he leaves the Kremlin).
Now neither the Russian ex-presidents nor their relatives can be arrested or arrested, house searches, interrogations or criminal or administrative matters, as determined by the recent legal regulation that, after passing through parliament, was sanctioned by Putin.
The legislation was part of the constitutional changes approved by referendum in June that gave the 68-year-old president the green light to remain president after 2024.
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Before the law came into effect, a former president enjoyed immunity alone acts committed during his mandate or related to the performance of his duties, but he was not protected from causes related to events before or after his reign.
(the new law) is a blanket guarantee to ensure that Putin’s successor will not retaliate
Experts agree that there is nothing strange about someone like Putin, who has been in office for more than 20 years and who may think he could be prosecuted, enacts such a change in law.
“It is not an uncommon thing, there could be many investigations (…) into corruption issues and the issue of Russia’s actions against opponents,” said Aymeric Durez, professor of International Relations at Universidad Javeriana, emphasizing. the new law is “a blanket guarantee to ensure that Putin’s successor will not retaliate” or delegitimize their actions.
Luisa Lozano, a professor at the Universidad de la Sabana’s Faculty of Law and Political Science, told this newspaper that Putin has traditionally been interrogated for events, such as disappearances or imprisonments, committed in some wars led by Russia.
According to Lozano, the extension of immunity has come as no surprise since then Putin has long ruled Russia “Without major restrictions” and this responds to the President’s fear of what could happen if he leaves office.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev address United Russia militants in Moscow.
Dmitry Medvedev, a leader of Russia between 2008 and 2012, was the target of several anti-corruption investigations conducted by opposition leader Alexei Navalni when his tenure ended. Fortunately, Medvedev will also benefit from the new legal measure.
Analysts estimate that if Putin were to be investigated for whatever reason, the risk of being deprived of your immunity would be minimal. Previously, the loss of this occurred when the Committee of Instruction of Russia initiated criminal proceedings for a serious crime committed in the exercise of the position and this was sanctioned by the Federal Assembly (parliament).
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With the ratification of the law, this is only possible through a decision of the Senate, which must be removed by the House of Representatives and supported by two-thirds of Parliament.
Further, the charges must be confirmed by the Supreme Court or the Constitutional Court and once this happens, the Senate cannot take more than three months to pass judgment.
According to Durez, stripping Putin of his protection is a “totally impossible” fact, given that the institutions involved in the process are under his control and he has significant presidential power strengthened by the constitutional changes approved this year. .
What you want to protect is Putin’s legacy, which cannot be erased …
Mauricio Jaramillo, Professor of International Relations at the Universidad del Rosario, for his part, said that “nothing is impossible in politics” and that what he is ultimately trying to do with the law, reduce the chance that a lawsuit against Putin will be successful.
However, there is another big goal. Putin has also signed a law allowing former presidents to serve as senators for life, and which, along with whoever grants them immunity, becomes a way to protect their legacy.
“What you want to protect is Putin’s legacy, which cannot be erased, either through legal proceedings against him, thus immunity, or because Russia is taking another prime minister or another president and taking a different path,” Jaramillo said. adding that the idea that Becoming a lifelong Senator means ensuring that “the long-term tradition of presidents is present in Russian politics.”
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For this expert, the three main implications of both laws are the strengthening of the presidential model imposed in Russia, the ‘fashion’ in the world to judge presidents leaving office, and the possible incidence of Putin in the country’s political system when he leaves power.
But Putin has not spoken directly about the latter possibility. Nor about running for a fifth term, despite the fact that the same package of constitutional changes opened up the possibility of being re-elected for two more terms.
So, while it is still not certain whether he will remain as president or serve as a senator, his actions suggest he wants several paths available. Experts suggest that He will only stop reigning because of health problems and that the end of his political life, which in any case gives you certainty, it is still a long way off.
PAULA VALERIA GALLO *
INTERNATIONAL SETUP
* With information from AFP and Efe
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