While ordinary Russians are watching the ruble exchange rate with trepidation, life is boiling with might and main on the sidelines. For the umpteenth time, deputies are discussing upcoming constitutional amendments. And as a result of their hard work, the volume of edits was almost doubled. What exactly do statesmen and wives want to change and how will this affect us and you?
We present you the top 10 most important amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation proposed in 2020.
10. For all good and against all bad
To begin with, that is simpler. A number of amendments to the 2020 Constitution (Articles 67 and 79) are dedicated to the fact that the state will guarantee the protection of traditional values, declares itself the successor of the USSR, promises to preserve the memory of ancestors and create all conditions for the development of children - from spiritual to physical.
- According to some political experts, the government is trying to breathe energy into the masses with words about spirituality. Say, having read about the special path of Russia, the people immediately mobilize and run to vote.
- The first version of the changes made by Russians was not inspired - either because it was not clear to them exactly how the redistribution of powers of the highest echelons of state power would affect their lives, or it was boring to read legal documents.
- According to opinion polls, the number of people who voted to vote for edits in just a month fell from 72% to 25%. It was necessary to somehow urgently correct the situation.
So the government is trying to appease everyone: and believers (inserting faith in God into the text of corrections), and lovers of crunching French bun (making a reference to the Russian Empire) And nostalgic for the Soviet empire (declaring the Russian Federation heir to the USSR), and patriots of World War II (adding a mention of Victory Day) And also ordinary family Russians who are concerned about how to feed, clothe, shoe and raise children.
We add that this vinaigrette of values reflects the complexity of the state identity of the Russian Federation. USSR and Russian Empire. Believers and atheists. Elderly people and youth. Personal freedoms and traditional values. Not so easy to combine all this!
9. The state language
One of the amendments to Article 68 of the Constitution concerns the language that we speak. Do not be afraid - the government does not urge Russian citizens to massively switch to Klingon. The state language was, and remains, Russian. True, it is interesting that the native people of this language were not named by name. Only a certain “state-forming people” appears in the text of the revision.
At the same time, the state reserves the right for the republics that are part of Russia to choose their own state language and teach it in schools, as well as draw up documents in this language.
8. Cultural identity
Having embarked on a spirituality and protection of cultural values, the initiators of the Constitution of 2020 are not going to be limited to one "state-forming people." On the contrary, it is argued that any, even the smallest people, will receive a guarantee of the preservation of their cultural and linguistic heritage. True, it is still unknown with what state mechanisms the government is going to achieve this.
Another third point of corrections to article 69 is also interesting: fellow citizens who intend to maintain their cultural identity while living abroad will not be left without state support.
7. The cell of society
In contrast to the corrupting influences of the corrupted West, where same-sex marriages came into fashion, the Russian Constitution appears to be a bastion of tradition. In article 72, where so far there has been a list of objects jointly administered by the Russian Federation as a whole and the republics in particular (for example, nature reserves, historical and cultural monuments, etc.), another item has been added on the protection of the family.
A marriage is only a union of a man and a woman. The state promises to protect the family, motherhood and fatherhood, as well as provide all the conditions for a “decent education” of children in the family.
6. Foreigners do not decree us
Although the Russian Federation may participate in interstate organizations, however international law - if they contradict the Russian Constitution, it is not going to take it to heart.
This is evidenced by the amendment of Article 79, for the most part devoted to the sovereignty of Russia and the inadmissibility of interference by foreign "well-wishers" in its internal affairs.
5. We won’t give an inch
One of the amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation concerns article 67. It is proposed to supplement it with the statement that the Russian Federation has protected and will protect its sovereignty and its territories. And that any actions aimed at violating the first and transferring the second, or even appeals to those, will not be allowed.
Many political scientists see a subtle allusion to Crimea, as well as to the centers of territorial conflicts between Russia and other powers (for example, the Kuril Islands). Is this really so, see on March 18th. According to unofficial information, on this very day the president can sign the law on amendments. And on this day six years ago the “official” annexation of Crimea took place.
4. Not a servant of two masters
The Bible says that it is impossible to serve two masters. The creators of the updated Constitution, apparently, took this statement to heart.
- Now, only a citizen of Russia older than 30 years old can be a president and an important state official, which is attention! - permanently resides in the Russian Federation.
- He should not have foreign citizenship, not even dual, for his whole life. The exception is if he lived in territories that later became part of the Russian Federation. Does it look tough? It's only the beginning.
- This hypothetical person still cannot have money and other valuables in custody in banks located outside of Russia.
Requirements for government officials can become even more stringent if federal laws come into play.
The moral and material appearance of officials is devoted to the amendments in Articles 77, 78, 95, 97, 110 and so on. True, according to sources close to the deputies working on the constitution, demand for prohibition of possession of property abroad was rejected by a majority of votes.
3. The redistribution of power
It was these edits that served as the basis for the reform introduced in January by Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. It is about changing the constitutional powers of the highest state bodies.
If you get through the legal language, it will become clear that the State Duma and the Federation Council will be able to influence the formation of the government and structural appointments, and the governors will acquire new powers. Article 83 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation is devoted to this.
2. The highest state person
One of the most important proposed changes to the Russian Constitution is related to the question of who can become president of the Russian Federation and how long he can remain in this post. According to article 81, the term of the presidency will be six years; there can be no more than two terms.
It seems that the proposal of Valentina Tereshkova to “nullify” the statistics of the presidential terms provoked the stormy approval of the deputies. The regulation on the limitation of terms will not have retrospective effect - that is, it does not take into account the presidential terms that were before this amendment was made to the Constitution.
Roughly speaking, all terms V.V. Putin will be reset to zero after accepting edits, and he can occupy the most important chair of the country for many, many years to come. At least 12 years.
1. The course on sociality
And here, perhaps, the most interesting for ordinary Russians amendments to the Constitution proposed in 2020.
- It is proposed in article 75 to add that the state respects the work of citizens and wishes to protect their rights by introducing the binding “minimum wage” equal to “living wage”.
- The second important change is the regular (at least once a year) indexation of social benefits and payments, including pensions.
- And the amendments to Articles 72 and 132 promise to improve the quality of medical care throughout Russia, including its most remote corners. And this is not only about accessibility, but also about the quality of medical services.
It is not surprising that precisely these edits (as well as those on sovereignty, inalienability of territories and the ban on foreign citizenship for public servants) aroused the greatest interest among the public.
Work on a list of constitutional amendments is still ongoing. According to the State Duma speaker, about 200 edits have been made so far, and 177 will go to the political basket. Perhaps the process of working on the main document of the country will also be affected by recent events on the financial front. After all, the collapse of the ruble and rising prices for goods directly affect the well-being of citizens, and a disgruntled and angry citizen is not inclined to make decisions convenient for the government.
Voting Day for Constitutional Amendments - Day Off or Not?
On April 22, 2020, a nationwide vote will be held on amendments to the Constitution, enshrined in the federal law with the long title "On improving the regulation of certain issues of the organization and functioning of public authority."
Wednesday April 22, 2020 declared a day off. For this day, payment to working citizens will be charged in accordance with the provisions established by the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, which apply to pay on non-working (holidays) days. In short, the payment for this day will be charged in double size.
Interestingly, traditionally, all nationwide voting in Russia takes place on Sunday. There is even an assumption that the government timed the vote on the 150th anniversary of the birth of Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (Lenin), who was born on April 22, 1870. However, the authorities claim that such a coincidence is pure coincidence. And the choice of the day of voting for amendments to the Constitution is explained by the good location on April 22 - between Easter and the beginning of Ramadan.
