Nikolai Rybakov’s Facebook page, 15.01.2020

Today’s Presidential Address [to the parliament] has finally returned us to the Leonid Brezhnev [stagnation] period [in the USSR]: slow reading of the text written on paper, silent audience but bursting into applause at the right moments.

Certainly, the directors of the event counted on resounding success of the promises of Vladimir Putin. Otherwise, it is difficult to explain why they broadcasted the Address even on the facades of houses. Many social promises have been made, and someone may find them attractive, but it is obvious that they are not able to defeat poverty as a problem and will not affect the real difficulties of the Russians.

If, in the 21st year of his governing, a political leader is discussing reduction of poverty in the country, then it is necessary to discuss first of all the issue of changing such a leader. If the “May decrees” of 2012 [the decrees signed by Vladimir Putin on his inauguration day on 7 May, 2012, that had to improve living standards of Russia’s population virtually in all the aspects] are still not fully implemented, then this is a question to the President and the government – what have they been doing all the previous years?

Vladimir Putin’s proposals regarding amendments to the Constitution and, in particular, fixing there the status and the role of the State Council are, apparently, the beginning of a transit of power, which has been so widely discussed lately. Vladimir Putin can no longer run for a new presidential term and is preparing for himself a new public office.

It is good that the President proposed to vote for a package of amendments to the Constitution in a referendum. An All-Russian Referendum was held in our country only once, almost 30 years ago, in 1993. Then the citizens voted to approve the present Constitution.

There should be more general votes, and Russians should more often participate in resolving systemic political issues.

The Yabloko party has long advocated changing the legislation on referenda: the conditions that should be implemented so that to initiate a referendum should be less tough, and the list of topics that can be put to a universal vote should be expanded.

Although, even in the absence of a referendum, it is now quite easy to observe the attitude of the population to certain events. For example, to today’s Presidential Address. Thus, there are 4,200 likes and 13,100 dislikes at the Russia 24 YouTube channel, and 1,400 likes and 3,100 dislikes of the viewers of the NTV channel. This is the real attitude of the population of our country to Vladimir Putin, his proposals, messages, and the system in general.

It is interesting that amendments to the Constitution concerning the State Council, in fact, introduce a new, the fourth branch of government. The State Council as a new political body represents a redundant structure and is just a possible synecure for Vladimir Putin. The three branches of government, which are represented in Russia by the Federal Assembly, the Government of the Russian Federation and federal courts, are quite enough to govern the state. And the world experience proves this.

The main thing that needs to be done now is to give these branches independence, cease to control the state in manual mode and enable democratic institutions to function independently.

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