Is Putin’s ‘President for Life’ Bid a Sign of Strength or Weakness?

Is Putin’s ‘President for Life’ Bid a Sign of Strength or Weakness?
Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his speech during the Victory Day military parade marking the 75th anniversary of the Nazi defeat, in Moscow, Russia, June 24, 2020 (pool photo by Sergey Pyatakov via AP).

In this week’s editors’ discussion on Trend Lines, WPR’s Judah Grunstein, Elliot Waldman and Prachi Vidwans talk about the Russian constitutional referendum that could clear the way for President Vladimir Putin to hold on to power until 2036. They also discuss the nature of Putin’s rule as well as the relative strengths and weakness of both the regime he has consolidated and Russia’s political opposition.

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Trend Lines is produced and edited by Peter Dörrie, a freelance journalist and analyst focusing on security and resource politics in Africa. You can follow him on Twitter at @peterdoerrie.

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