COLUMNS

Putin Plans for a Russia Without Him

Lauren Goodrich

Senior Eurasia Analyst, Stratfor

Mar 15, 2018 | 08:00 GMT

Russian President Vladimir Putin commemorates the 75th anniversary of the Soviet Union's World War II victory at Stalingrad, now called Volgograd, on Feb. 2, 2018. Putin is assured an election win on March 18. But his fourth term will bring with it a period of pressing challenges for Russia and Putin's continued rule.

(MAXIM SHEMETOV/AFP/Getty Images)

Highlights

Though Russian President Vladimir Putin is assured an election win on March 18, his fourth term will usher in a period of deep challenges for Russia and his continued rule.
Putin's pledge to maintain stability is facing economic and demographic shifts that will ripple throughout society and test compliance with Putin's government.
Thinking of the longer term, the Kremlin is considering a spate of reforms and has allowed political discourse to return to Russia, though each maneuver is not without its risks.
Putin, his cultlike government and the Russian people are starting to consider what life in Russia will look like after he leaves the political stage.

The predictable re-election of Vladimir Putin on March 18 ushers in an unpredictable fourth term for the long-time Russian president. All but assured a victory, Putin could remain in office through 2024, which would make him the longest-serving leader since Josef Stalin. In the West, Putin is labeled a narcissist, despot and would-be king for holding onto power for 18 years. But rebuilding an empire out of the wreckage of the Soviet Union took time, and now Putin faces a string of pressing challenges that threaten his legacy and the future stability of Russia. Putin's next term will look qualitatively different from his previous terms, as he maneuvers varying chess pieces for Russia's long game....

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