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President Medvedev Launches A Constitutional Coup. And Threatens The West With Nuclear Weapons

November 7, 2008

President Medvedev Launches A Constitutional Coup. And Threatens The West With Nuclear WeaponsRussian President Dmitri Medvedev has very publicly announced that the Kremlin is going to stage a constitutional coup by reforming the Russian constitution in order to prepare the ground for the return of Vladimir Putin, currently serving as Russia’s Prime Minister. In his first annual state-of-the-nation address, which resembles the speeches of Politburo members in Soviet times, Medvedev has stated that the Russian Constitution was going to be amended to extend the presidential term from the current 4 years to 6 years. This means that Putin, who, of course, still pulls all the strings, would have an opportunity to come back as President and stay as head of state for an unbroken 12 years. In effect, Medvedev’s entire address was devoted to announcing a constitutional change that will benefit Putin. In order to push through this illegal measure he conjured up a whole package of supposed constitutional amendments that in reality mean absolutely nothing in terms of changing the political system of the country. Generally speaking, the address was totally irrelevant and, what’s more, included passages that smacked of ignorance and a loss of all sense of reality. It seemed at times that Mr Medvedev was living in a totally different world from the one in which the Russian people actually live. It was actually quite spooky to hear him talk about the wonderful achievements of Russia and about the ideology of caring for the Russian people. I got the impression that Medvedev does not really understand what he is uttering and simply reads from a prepared text, written for him by Putin’s aides and approved by the great man himself.

Just one example: Russia, which is quickly approaching economic meltdown, has no money to spend on anything; and yet President Medvedev was talking about a revival of the country’s armed forces and of plans to deploy short-range nuclear missiles, Iskander, in the Russian Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad, in response to the planned development of the US anti-missile defence shield in Poland and the Czech Republic. The man was actually talking about Russia, which is facing bankruptcy, starting a new arms race with the US. What planet is he living on? How is he going to fund all that military build up?

In a civilised nation such a speech by its head of state would be promptly condemned by the media and the opposition parties, and the Constitutional Court would have decreed that it was anti-constitutional to introduce changes to the most important legal document in the land solely because it happens to suit one specific person. In a civilised country, Parliament would have probably launched impeachment proceeding against the President for blatantly ignoring the interests of his own people and tinkering with the constitution.

But Russia has long ago stopped pretending to be a civilised country. And, of course, the Russian media has obediently ‘swallowed’ the speech. And as no real political opposition exists in the country any more there was no one to criticise Medvedev and demand his resignation. The Russian Constitutional Court has become a department of the Kremlin, obeying its every order, and the Russian parliament has become a joke, with Putin’s supporters controlling two thirds of the crucial lower house, the State Duma, which allows it to introduce changes to the constitution just as Putin pleases.

Medvedev’s address was a disgrace in terms of political manipulation and blatant tinkering with the constitution. The Russian leadership has effectively lost all touch with reality and risks provoking a violent backlash next year, when the country’s economy is likely to collapse totally, bringing with it a new wave of financial turmoil around the world. Then Medvedev and Putin will no longer be able to hide the fact that Russia is bankrupt. Even if Medvedev takes the blame and steps down or is impeached, and Putin takes over from him, the new arrangement would not last long.

Putin would have to go next year or the year after, because everyone will see what sort of a politician he really is: incompetent and arrogant, with total disregard for his own people and for the law. He is just like Tony Blair in many senses, only even less capable and less intelligent.

In other words, Putin’s time will soon be up. And no constitutional amendments will save him.

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One Response to “President Medvedev Launches A Constitutional Coup. And Threatens The West With Nuclear Weapons”

  1. Corvez on November 7th, 2008 10:43 am

    It’s a pity that your evident and usual cleverness and sense of humour are completely absent when you think about Russia and its current leadership, blinded by your resentment.
    The only good thing that Eltsine made for Russia was to bring Poutine to the head of the state.
    Alain Corvez. Paris.
    On another hand :Bravo for your comments on Obama’s Pyrrhus victory.

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