Russia's prime minister and entire government just resigned

Russia’s prime minister and entire government just resigned. The move clears the way for Russian President Putin to make sweeping constitutional changes and came just hours after Putin delivered his annual address.

Russia saw extreme political upheaval on Wednesday with constitutional reforms announced by President Vladimir Putin leading to the resignation of government.

By the end of the day, Putin had also proposed a new prime minister and political commentary was rife with speculation over the strongman’s strategy and grip on power.

The day started with Putin giving his annual address to lawmakers and members of the elite in which he announced a national referendum on the reforms that would seek to limit presidential power and hand more control to parliament. One notable change would be that the Duma (Russia’s parliament), rather than the president, would appoint any prime minister.

Putin also suggested limiting future presidential terms to just two. Like the U.S., future presidents would have no possibility to return after these two terms (as he himself has done). Potential new powers for the State Council, an advisory body to the Kremlin led by Putin, were also outlined. But there was little detail on what the changes could mean for Putin’s future role in public life.

Soon after, and with little warning, the government resigned to help implement the changes. As Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev resigned on state television, with Putin sitting beside him, he said that the changes would “introduce substantial changes not only to an entire range of articles of the constitution, but also to the entire balance of power, the power of the executive, the power of the legislature, the power of judiciary.”

Putin then appointed Medvedev as his deputy within the state’s Security Council and swiftly nominated Mikhail Mishustin, the head of the Federal Tax Service, as the country’s new prime minister.

The announcements from Putin — the longest-serving Russian leader since Stalin, having occupied the presidential and prime ministerial offices alternatively for 20 years — prompted widespread speculation as to Russia’s political future, and Putin’s, after his current term in office ends in 2024.

What is Putin up to and what does it all mean? Here’s a selection of comment and analysis from experts on what the changes could mean:

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