Putin Hands Russia Over To Medvedev

May 7, 2008 · Filed Under Russia, Vladimir Putin, World News

Dmitry Medvedev was inaugurated as Russia’s President today, taking the reigns from two-term President Vladmir Putin. Two hours after becoming President, Medvedev nominated Putin for the post of Prime Minister, which is the second most powerful position in Russia.

The Russian parliament will have to rubber stamp vote on and approve the nomination before Putin can assume the post, which is already a foregone conclusion.

In a speech today as the new President, Medvedev vowed to do keep the economy strong as it had been under Putin. In a surprising twist, the new President spoke of the need for Russia to strengthen “civil rights” and “economic freedoms.” He went on to reference the need for strong “civil rights” in Russia throughout the speech.

This is significant because his icy-cold former KGB predecessor, Vladimir Putin, took Russia’s fledgling economy and turned it into an economic powerhouse, while systematically crushing descent, murdering journalists, and rolling back democracy.

While it’s unlikely that Medvedev will stray from Putin’s policies too much, (since Putin will be in the office next door) there’s a chance he may act more like a President than a dictator.

-Chris Jones