Is Russia’s Putin staying or leaving? New draft law revives speculation on president’s future

Backers of the legislation say it’s just part of the 68-year-old’s effort to build a less personalised system to succeed him – whenever he decides it’s time to go

The revival of speculation about the leader’s future highlights how central Putin remains to the Russian state

3-MIN READ3-MIN

Russian President Vladimir Putin: Photo: Kremlin/DPA

Published: 3:34pm, 20 Dec 2020Updated: 8:18pm, 20 Dec 2020

A new draft law giving immunity to former presidents and their families has rekindled speculation about Vladimir Putin’s future, months after he pushed through constitutional changes that could allow him to stay in office through 2036.

Some around the Kremlin say the bill has spurred quiet discussion of the possibility that Putin might not linger nearly that long. Backers of the draft, which is expected to become law within days, say it’s just part of the Russian leader’s effort to build a less personalised system to succeed him – whenever he decides it’s time to step down.

Putin, whose 21-year rule already makes him Russia’s longest-serving leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, has shown no sign that he is going anywhere. The president defended removing term limits for himself in a 4 1/2-hour annual press conference on Thursday, looking vigorous and confident throughout.

“The stable development of the nation is worth a lot,” he said, adding that he hadn’t decided yet whether to run again in the next presidential election in 2024.

The regular revival of speculation about the 68-year-old leader’s future highlights how central Putin remains to the Russian state and the challenge he faces in trying to engineer a transition to a new president in the future. The constitutional changes approved in a referendum in July exempted him from term limits that would have made his current one his last.