In March 2018, presidential elections were held in Russia. There were no surprises - Vladimir Putin was elected to his formally fourth (and actually fifth) term as head of state. Many of those who voted for Putin in March were greatly disappointed by subsequent events. People hoped for some changes, but completely different, very unpleasant ones happened - first of all, we are talking about raising the retirement age. The feeling of injustice of what is happening in the country and disappointment that hopes for positive changes can hardly be pinned on Putin’s name have become increasingly common. Residents of Russia are waiting for real changes and understand more and more clearly that changes can only be brought by some other person in the highest position. When will the next presidential elections in Russia take place - how soon will Russians have the chance to change something in their destiny by voting, whether Vladimir Putin will be able to become head of state again.
When are the next presidential elections in Russia due to take place?
The Russian Constitution in its current configuration establishes a six-year term of office for the president of the country. This means that the next presidential elections in Russia must take place in March 2024.
Initially, in the Constitution, which was adopted in December 1993, the presidential term was shorter - four years. It was the four-year term of the second (and first after the adoption of the Constitution) presidency of Boris Yeltsin. Yeltsin's successor, Vladimir Putin, then ruled the country for two four-year terms.
In 2008, Putin’s second consecutive four-year term ended, and he did not have the right to go to new elections - this is prohibited by the same Constitution. Power must be replaceable, only in this way is constant development possible - this is precisely the principle that was laid down by the authors of the Basic Law in its text.
True, this norm was formulated rather unprepossessingly - “no more than two terms in a row.” It was meant that one person, in principle, cannot be president for more than two terms, and these terms themselves must run consecutively. If a person loses the election after the first term, he cannot go to the highest post again.
But it was meant. But in reality it turned out that the phrase can be interpreted in another way - after two consecutive terms, you can take a break and go to the polls again. This is what Vladimir Putin ended up doing.
The four-year presidential term became six years under the formal rule of Dmitry Medvedev. Medvedev, as soon as he became head of state (inauguration took place on May 7, 2008), carried out a reform of the Constitution. Already in November 2008, he proposed increasing the term of office of State Duma deputies to five years, and the president to six years.
The State Duma, which at that time consisted of exactly 70% members of the United Russia party, easily formalized the corresponding amendments. For many observers, it already became clear that in 2012, Vladimir Putin was preparing to return to the Kremlin, who needed to rule for as long as possible, ideally for life.
Changes to the Constitution allowed Putin to win four extra years. His two terms after his return in 2012 were supposed to last not eight (until 2020), but twelve years at once (until 2024).
Two terms will pass - what's next?
Increasing the presidential term to six years, of course, helped gain time, but did not completely solve the problem of the authorities. And the task, obviously, is one - Vladimir Putin must rule for life. His own life and freedom depend on this, and even more so the life and freedom of the so-called elites, his immediate circle.
It is already noticeable that the authorities have begun to think about what will happen after 2024. From time to time, the first people of the state throw into the information space the idea that it would be nice to change the Constitution. There is persistent talk about creating a common state with Belarus. For example, in the format of including Belarus into Russia with several new regions.
In essence, there is a search for a solution - how and under what pretext to change the Constitution so that society accepts it.
The creation of a new state from two – Russia and Belarus – will make it possible to write a new fundamental law for such a country. And in the new Constitution you can write anything you want.
If this option cannot be implemented (Belarus itself and its authorities do not particularly want to become part of Russia, where they will lose their current weight, and it would be good to ask the opinion of the Belarusian and Russian people), there are other options. For example, dramatic changes in the configuration of power in Russia. Among the options is the creation of a kind of State Council, the head of which will be the real ruler of Russia. The post of president may remain, but the person who will occupy it will retain minor powers. About the same as the president of Germany, where the chancellor really runs the country.
Be that as it may, now the question “when will the next presidential elections take place in Russia” should be asked somewhat differently – “will these elections be held in principle?” They will not repeat the trick with the interim presidency of the same Medvedev or anyone else. Firstly, Vladimir Putin was disappointed in the experiment of 2008-2012. Secondly, the interim president will have to rule the state until 2030, and at that time Putin himself will already be 78 years old. We need to find an option so that Putin never leaves his office for the rest of his life.
Most likely, in the near future (perhaps already in 2019-2020) we will find out what the authorities have come up with. And you can expect anything - from some big but peaceful constitutional reform (although it also needs a pretext) to the next wars with neighbors and the introduction of a state of emergency in the state. No scenarios look fantastic or far-fetched anymore.
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The presidential race is in full swing. On March 18, 2018, we will all go to vote for a candidate worthy of governing Russia. The result of the next elections is almost predictable, and, most likely, many will later remember that no one foresaw any surprises in Russia. People's expectations are obvious, the lists of candidates are known for certain, and Russian citizens are mostly unanimous in their opinion.
Leader today
The Russian presidency, established in 1991, was elected 6 times.
The current leader, Vladimir Putin, was first elected to the country's main post in March 2000 and since then has not remained aloof from big-time politics. Four years later he was re-elected. He did not leave the political arena during the reign of Dmitry Medvedev - from 2008 to 2012, working as Prime Minister. Since 2012, Putin has again become head of state. A new term for the president to remain in power was approved - 6 years. Fourth term? Second "six-year"? And who, if not him?
Everyone needs to be noticed. During the years when there were presidential elections in Russia, all candidates tried to win as many hearts of representatives of the electorate as possible with their expedient plans and programs, and implemented their election campaigns within the framework of budget money, 2018 was no exception. Grudinin goes to Bolshevichka, Sobchak goes to Washington, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin simply follows the work rhythm.
In 1991, the president was elected for a 5-year term, but a few years later, in 1993, the five years were reduced to four. This innovation came into force, accordingly, in 1996, when a second round was needed to determine the winner. 2000, 2004 and 2008 - in these years the elections were held as normal, but later (in 2008) further amendments were made to the legislation. According to them, a six-year presidential term has been established since 2012.
Elections in 1991
First elections. The head of the Russian state was elected on June 12, 1991. The lists contained about 107 million people, 75% turned out to vote. Six pairs of candidates (president and vice-president) took part - data recorded by the electoral body (CEC).
Vladimir Zhirinovsky with Andrei Zavidiya (head of the Galand concern), Boris Yeltsin with Alexander Rutsky, Nikolai Ryzhkov (former Union Prime Minister) with Boris Gromov, Aman Tuleyev with the head of the Kuzbassshakhtostroy plant Viktor Bocharov were assigned their own party.
Results: in 1991, when there were presidential elections, Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin was considered the leader in Russia. He scored 57%, which corresponds to about 46 million votes. The “silver medal” was in the hands of Vladimir Volfovich Zhirinovsky, who was participating for the first time and scored about 8%.
The federal budget “lost weight” by 155 million rubles - such expenses were incurred for the election campaign.
Elections in 1996
The next election of the Russian leader took place on June 16, 1996, and the number of voters was about 109 million people. At the last moment, Aman Tuleyev left the race. As a result, 10 candidates competed for the post along with the current President Yeltsin, including Mikhail Gorbachev and Zhirinovsky, the communist Zyuganov, and Grigory Yavlinsky.
The first round passed, where Yeltsin had the largest number of votes - 35%. But since half was not collected (elections took place if a candidate received more than 50%), a second round was held two weeks later. On July 3, 1996 it happened! Boris Nikolaevich was elected President of the Russian Federation; 54% of Russians voted for him.
Early elections of the President of the Russian Federation: March 26, 2000
In 2000, the next presidential elections in Russia were supposed to take place, but the date was revised due to the voluntary resignation of the current president on the last day of 1999. A total of 11 candidates competed in the presidential race, most of whom were party nominees rather than independent entities.
The date was set on March 26, and the winner was the acting head of the Russian state, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. He received 53% of the votes. The Russian Central Election Commission estimated the spending of the Russian budget at 1 billion 420 million rubles. Federal funds were not wasted and a great era had begun.
Russian Presidential Elections: March 14, 2004
The number of citizens included in the lists exceeded 108 million Russians, and six candidates appeared on the ballots. V.V. Zhirinovsky prudently skipped these elections (apparently, there was no point).
As a result, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin was re-elected. 71% of citizens put “for” for him in their ballots, the result was obvious at that time.
According to the report, 2.5 billion rubles were spent. And we can observe a steady trend towards an increase in federal spending on the main business of the country.
Russian presidential elections in 2008
According to the approved Constitutional order, the current leader did not have the right to take part in the struggle for the post of head of state for the third time, only four took part in it, and Dmitry Medvedev was elected to the post with 70%, which actually amounted to 52.5 million votes of Russians - excellent result!
Today, thinking about Ksenia Sobchak, we remember that since 2008, precisely since those elections, the line “against all” has disappeared from the ballot. A total of about 5 billion rubles of budget money was spent on the campaign.
Russian presidential elections in 2012
The first month of spring is an election month. The Federation Council has set the date for the presidential elections in the Russian Federation. They became
Five presidential candidates were registered with the Central Election Commission. Including Zhirinovsky, Zyuganov, as well as businessman Mikhail Prokhorov.
The day when the Russian presidential elections took place was a victory for Vladimir Putin, who was elected to the post of head of state with 64% of votes in favor.
10.3 billion budget rubles were spent on the election campaign. Russian presidential elections in 2012 and 1991: feel the difference between costs. But let's count our personal expenses, if something is done, then it should be done.
The Constitution of the Russian Federation, the Federal Law “On Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights and the Right to Participate in a Referendum of Citizens of the Russian Federation”, the Federal Law “On the Election of the President of the Russian Federation”, other legislative acts.
The President of the Russian Federation is elected for a term of six years by citizens of the Russian Federation on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot.
A citizen of the Russian Federation who is at least 35 years old and has permanently resided in the Russian Federation for at least 10 years can be elected President of the Russian Federation. The same person cannot hold the position of President of the Russian Federation for more than two consecutive terms.
Elections for the President of the Russian Federation are held in a single federal electoral district, which includes the entire territory of the Russian Federation.
In accordance with the Constitution, presidential elections in Russia are called by the Federation Council. The decision to call elections must be made no earlier than 100 days and no later than 90 days before voting day.
Participation of state authorities, local self-government bodies, management bodies of organizations of all forms of ownership, institutions, voting members of election commissions in the collection of voter signatures is not allowed.
The Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, no later than 10 days after receiving the documents necessary for registration of a candidate, is obliged to make a decision to register the candidate or a reasoned decision to refuse his registration.
Financing of activities related to the preparation and conduct of the presidential elections of the Russian Federation is carried out from the federal budget. Candidates are also required to create their own campaign funds to finance their election campaign.
Voting takes place from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time. If the territory of the polling station is the place of residence of voters whose working hours coincide with voting time (when working in enterprises with a continuous work cycle or on a rotational basis), by decision of the election commission of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation, the start of voting at this polling station may be postponed to an earlier time , but no more than two hours.
The precinct election commission is obliged to provide the opportunity to participate in voting for voters who have the right to be included or included in the voter list at a given polling station and cannot, for good reasons (due to health, disability), independently arrive at the polling station.
Ballots are issued to voters included in the voter list upon presentation of a passport or a document replacing a citizen’s passport.
A registered candidate who received more than half of the votes of the voters who took part in the voting is considered elected. The number of voters who took part in the voting is determined by the number of ballot papers of the established form found in the ballot boxes.
The minimum threshold for voter turnout was “On Amendments to the Federal Law “On Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights and the Right to Participate in a Referendum of Citizens of the Russian Federation” and the Civil Procedure Code of the Russian Federation.” Previously, in order for elections to be recognized as valid, 50 percent or more of voters had to take part in them.
If more than two registered candidates were included on the ballot and none of them was elected to the position of President of the Russian Federation based on the results of the general elections, the Central Election Commission schedules a repeat vote in the election of the President of the Russian Federation for the two registered candidates who received the largest number of votes. A repeat vote is held 21 days after the voting day for the general elections.
If, before the re-vote, one of the registered candidates for whom a re-vote is to be held withdraws his candidacy or drops out due to other circumstances, his place, by decision of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, is transferred to the next registered candidate by the number of votes received after the candidates for whom a re-vote was initially scheduled .
Voting in repeated presidential elections is held no later than four months from the day of voting in the initial elections or no later than four months from the day the elections were declared invalid or invalid.
When holding repeat elections of the President of the Russian Federation, those candidates whose actions (inactions) served (served) as a basis for recognizing the general elections or elections during a repeat vote as invalid cannot be nominated again as candidates.
The elected President of the Russian Federation takes office upon the expiration of six years from the date of assumption of office by the President of the Russian Federation elected in the previous elections, and in the event of early elections, as well as if by the day of expiration of six years from the date of assumption of office by the President elected in previous elections, repeat elections are scheduled - on the thirtieth day from the date of official publication by the Central Election Commission of the general election results.
Upon taking office, the President of the Russian Federation takes the following oath to the people: “When exercising the powers of the President of the Russian Federation, I swear to respect and protect the rights and freedoms of man and citizen, to observe and defend the Constitution of the Russian Federation, to protect the sovereignty and independence, security and integrity of the state, to faithfully serve the people ".
The oath is taken in a solemn atmosphere in the presence of members of the Federation Council, deputies of the State Duma and judges of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation.
The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources
Putin's fourth term has arrived, and the question of a successor will soon arise again. And who will become this successor is an important question. The new leader of the country must be a very decisive figure and focused on the interests of the people, while the current president and government look more at the interests of business. When are the next presidential elections in Russia after 2018, and what to expect from them?
In view of the current situation, a change of course is necessary. Due to the current symbiosis of government and business, corruption has flourished, and it is still impossible to eradicate it, since it suits everyone - both governors and federal officials. Only changes in leadership can break this vicious circle.
In addition, do not forget that all people are mortal, and so are government officials. The government apparatus of the Russian Federation is not getting any younger, and quite soon the moment will come when it will consist entirely of sick old people. Then, willy-nilly, the manual will have to be updated in order to avoid the second round of “carriage races.” In any case, Putin must appoint a successor and retire, but who is this person?
Such is the prevailing political culture in our country that presidents are not elected by the people, but rather appointed by previous presidents. We should expect that Putin will announce his successor publicly in the coming years, and we will know who we will have to vote for in the next elections. The likelihood that the opposition candidate, rather than the appointed subordinate candidate, will have any chance is extremely small, but it cannot be discounted.
What to expect from the 2024 elections?
When is the next presidential election in Russia after 2018? Under current law, the next elections will take place in the spring of 2024. There are as many as six years left before them, and this is a considerable period in our times, and a lot can change in these six years.
The trust rating of the President and the Government may drop sharply as a result of another unforeseen crisis, which will give additional chances to the opposition and introduce unpredictability into the 2024 elections. Let us recall that before the six-year period was established, another was in force - a four-year one, which was considered too short. In addition, there is a limit on two consecutive presidential terms, as a result of which a president who does not resort to “castling” can hold office for up to 12 years.
It is unlikely that we should expect a repeat of the “castling” in 2024 - the President of Russia is already at the wrong age, and the term of office has already been extended, so at the next elections we will no longer be talking about a “temporary appointment to the presidential chair”, but about a full-fledged new President.
But who will this president be? In a recent article, we hypothesized that another constitutional reshuffle will occur and Putin will run again. But what if we exclude the factor of such shuffling and take for granted the existence of a real, permanent successor - who will it be?
Sergei Shoigu
One of the most promising figures who could become Putin's successor is Sergei Kuzhugetovich Shoigu. He has long been visible in the executive branch of the Russian Federation and has not only made a worthy career, but also proven himself to be a decent person. This former minister of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, and now the minister of defense and holder of the high military rank of army general, stood at the origins of the United Russia party, being the head of one of its constituent parts - the Unity party.
It hardly makes sense to list all the milestones of his career - it is enough to mention that he actually created the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations out of nothing and brought order to the armed forces of the Russian Federation after difficult and controversial reforms that ended in scandal.
Shoigu is a clear candidate who will definitely continue the existing course. However, he is a prominent representative of the “siloviki” clan, not associated with the so-called system liberals, so there is a possibility that under him, the policy of symbiosis between government and business could be abolished, and the group of system liberals could be pushed out of power.
Sergei Sobyanin
The mayor of Moscow is also seen as a likely candidate to succeed Putin. This “Varangian,” called to Moscow from the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, was previously the mayor of the northern oil city of Kogalym. His appearance in Moscow cannot be called unexpected: in the past he was associated with the federal government as the head of the presidential administration, replacing Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, who became deputy prime minister (and then prime minister and president), in this post. In any case, he, along with Shoigu, is a systemic, pro-government potential candidate, under whom one can hardly expect big changes: Putin’s course will probably remain completely under him, as under a person wholly and completely generated by Putin.
Pavel Grudinin
Speaking about this person, we are already entering the realm of opposition. Last year, this little-known agricultural businessman, the owner of a former Soviet state farm, became the presidential candidate from the left opposition instead of Gennady Zyuganov, and gained percentages that exceeded those of the eternal candidate Vladimir Volfovich Zhirinovsky, long known to the electorate. If it were not for this factor, it would hardly make sense to seriously consider Grudinin, but after the past elections, a possible agreement between Putin and Grudinin cannot be ruled out, as a result of which he will join the pro-government clan and become the official successor. And also a possible regrouping of Grudinin’s supporters as an oppositionist, which will allow him to compete with the pro-government candidate for the second time.
Ksenia Sobchak
This person is a very controversial figure in Russian politics. Many believe that her presidential campaign was a carefully planned operation to discredit the liberal opposition, or some kind of favor provided to her by Putin, as a result of which the notorious showwoman was given the opportunity to launch a political career. But can we expect Sobchak’s own party to emerge and begin its activities as a serious politician? Few can answer this question.
Many believe that she cannot and is not ready to rule the country. And only a few are supporters of the theory that Sobchak's new career is something like Putin's gratitude to her father, his old ally. One way or another, if Ksenia Sobchak hopes to become president, she will need a radical change of image and long days and nights of spin-doctoring necessary to wash away her former scandalous image.
A bit of unconventional political science
Since the level of education in our society, unfortunately, is falling, belief in psychics and fortune-tellers, fueled by some television programs, has gained considerable popularity. This fad has not escaped politics either: here and there on the Internet you can find certain prophecies and predictions from magicians and sorcerers, which allegedly reveal the personality of the future president of the Russian Federation. It hardly makes sense to pay attention to these prophecies, and no serious political scientist or political strategist will perceive them as a significant source of information.
And we advise people who are inclined to believe in magic, prophecies, revelations, dreams, clucking and crows to improve their level of education, get acquainted with the scientific worldview and healthy skepticism. The candidacy of the future president is decided not by stars or spirits, but by secret agreements in the Kremlin and the work of political strategists. And we will trust professionally trained political scientists to predict the results of this work, and not television personalities serving an audience of superstitions and fans of the “fantasy” style.
1. Conducting elections of the President of the Russian Federation within the time limits established by the Constitution of the Russian Federation and this Federal Law is mandatory.
2. In accordance with the Constitution of the Russian Federation, elections of the President of the Russian Federation are appointed by the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. The decision to call elections must be made no earlier than 100 days and no later than 90 days before voting day. The voting day for the election of the President of the Russian Federation is the second Sunday of the month in which voting took place in the previous general elections of the President of the Russian Federation and in which the President of the Russian Federation was elected six years ago. The decision to call elections is subject to official publication in the media no later than five days from the date of its adoption.
3. If the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation does not call elections for the President of the Russian Federation in accordance with paragraph 2 of this article, elections are called and held by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation on the second Sunday of the month in which voting was held in the previous general elections of the President of the Russian Federation. The decision of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation to call elections is published no later than seven days from the date of expiration of the period established by paragraph 2 of this article for the official publication of the decision to call elections.
(see text in the previous edition)
4. If the President of the Russian Federation terminates the exercise of his powers before the expiration of the constitutional term in cases and in the manner provided for by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, no later than 14 days from the date of such termination of powers, calls early elections of the President of the Russian Federation. Voting day in this case is the last Sunday before the day on which three months expire from the day of the early termination of the execution of his powers by the President of the Russian Federation. The decision to call early elections is subject to official publication in the media no later than five days from the date of its adoption.
5. If the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation does not call early elections of the President of the Russian Federation in accordance with paragraph 4 of this article, elections of the President of the Russian Federation are appointed and held by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation on the last Sunday before the day when three months expire from the date of early termination execution of his powers by the President of the Russian Federation. The decision of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation to call elections is published no later than seven days from the date of expiration of the deadline established by paragraph 4 of this article for the official publication of the decision to call early elections.
(see text in the previous edition)
6. In the cases provided for in paragraphs 3 and this article, the deadlines for carrying out electoral actions established by this Federal Law are reduced by one quarter. In this case, the terms in days are multiplied by three-quarters and rounded towards the nearest whole number; If after multiplication the result is a number whose fractional part is half the whole number, then it is rounded up.