Mikhail Fradkov

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Mr Medvedev (L) has The President 's right-hand man, and now you have to take a back seat

It came from nothing. Even Minister in the Russian government, the not see, apparently, the wait for your departure.

it Was a case of a new working year in Moscow - Out with the old and in with the new?

But Vladimir Putin , 67, was clear, had to rethink. With four years of office to go, before he leaves, and in the 20 years already served, it was clear he was planned well in advance.

A new government headed by Mikhail Mishustin , a technocrat, turned Russia the hated tax service in an efficient operation, and at the end of A Man who worked hand-in-hand with Mr Putin since he became President.

Dmitry Medvedev also not filled in as President for four years, because in the framework of The Constitution , Mr Putin was able to.

Mr Medvedev, the unpopular head of the United Russia party, is Out of the way, but His new role as Deputy head of the Russian security Council, is far more behind the scenes.

"is It a Golden parachute. It means he is in the reserve, as the security Council is Putin's closest Inner Circle , His own mini-government," says Alexander Baunov of the Moscow Carnegie center.

Mr Putin comes to the same point he reached after His second term, as Dmitry Medvedev deputised for him. But This Time , in which The President not to take a false back seat of the Prime Minister . It now seems that Mr Putin's fourth term of office as President will be His last.

So, what does he want instead?

On The Face , it means more powers for the Parliament - the selection of the Prime Minister and the approval of the Cabinet, for a start. But that will not happen yet. Mr Putin, Mr Medvedev has chosen to be His successor Parliament to ratify him.

As with any other powers for the Parliament , which is still unclear. "You are not going to change by the same deputies, a lot," says Sergei Goryashko the BBC Russian.

What President Putin is suggesting, is a public vote on the amendments to The Constitution - The First vote since 1993 .

Russians for The First time, a feeling of change was in the air during Mr Putin's speech to both houses of Parliament on Wednesday morning,

One of the outstanding proposals, the Council of state makes a formal state Agency, which is enshrined in The Constitution .

At the moment, it is an Advisory body, Packed with 85 governors and other officials, including Political Party leaders. It is so great that, when he meets filled a hall in the Kremlin.

But Mr Putin clearly has designs on the future. One theory is that he could be a new, powerful ruler of the State Council .

"The fact that he started a discussion on the Council of state, that he might be tempted to create Another Place where the power resides, where he fails to step over The President 's post," Mr Baunov.

Mr Putin wants to remain in power, the question is, how do you say, Sergei Goryashko. We are now almost sure that he remains President after 2024, it is the role he chooses to fill. It could even in His existing role as head of the security Council.

Sam Greene , Director the Russia Institute at King's College, London, believes that the elites are looking for to secure your future after 2024 games is "now on a minimum of three chess boards simultaneously" - Definition of the tasks of the Duma (Parliament ), the Council of state, and Mr Putin himself.

With a similar analogy, the commentator Konstantin Eggert said it is the "same pointless chess imitate novelty", while ultimately maintaining the Status Quo .

What was the reaction?

For Alexei Navalny , the biggest resistance threat to President Putin, this marked the Soviet to return-the style of the policy and a vote on amendments to The Constitution would be a Scam.

fellow activist Lyubov Sobol was equally scathing: "Swapping some thief is guys for the other thieving boys, neither the reform nor regeneration. "

Mikhail Mishustin has been widely praised for the Reform of the tax service, but is little known to most Russians

Other compared to the resignation of the widely unpopular Mr Medvedev to the overthrow of Mr Putin, the former Prime Minister , Mikhail Fradkov , a year before the second term of The President ended.

Although the new candidate is a respected technocrat, has the Reform of the tax service, he is little known. Mr Fradkov was also Viktor Zubkov replaced by an unknown, that lasted only a few months in The Job .

russia, dmitry medvedev, vladimir putin

Source of news: bbc.com