Russian President Vladimir Putin named Tax Service chief Mikhail Mishustin as the new prime minister after Dmitry Medvedev, and his cabinet suddenly resigned.
The Wednesday shake-up came after Putin’s annual state of the nation address, where he spoke about altering the constitution to give more power to prime ministers and cabinet members.
Mishustin, 53, had worked as head of the Federal Tax Service since 2010. The Duma will hold a hearing on his appointment this month.
The news comes as Putin attempts to solidify further control of the Russian government. Medvedev, 54, was the president from 2008 to 2012 and later was appointed prime minister. After his resignation as prime minister, Putin named Medvedev, an ally, to deputy head of the presidential Security Council.
Putin faces a term limit in 2024, as the constitution stipulates that a president can’t serve more than two consecutive four-year terms. There is speculation that his proposals to strengthen the prime minister position and increase the power of cabinet members could serve as a way to weaken the presidency, allowing him to maintain power after his term ends.
The country’s most well-known opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, said Putin’s goal was to take “ownership of an entire country.”
“The main message of Putin’s address: All those who said that Putin will step away from power in 2024 are such idiots,” he said. “Remaining the sole leader for life, taking ownership of an entire country, and appropriating wealth to himself and his friends is the only goal of Putin and his regime.”
Putin, the longest-serving leader in Russian or the Soviet Union since Josef Stalin, was first elected president in 2000. Medvedev’s time as president was seen as a placeholder for Putin so that he could serve another two terms after his departure.
