Expect the Unexpected When You’re Expecting
“On Wednesday, Putin reminded his subjects and the world that he still hasn’t lost his touch for creating the kind of spectacle that allows him to fully control the situation while everyone else is busy reacting. While delivering his annual address that’s roughly analogous to the State of the Union, Putin announced that he would be changing the constitution again and moving the center of power away from the presidency and toward the Russian parliament, which, during Putin’s 20-year-tenure, has turned into a rubber stamp. He also stated that he’d like to get rid of the constitutional provision that limits a president to two consecutive terms.” GQ’s Julia Ioffe: Why is Putin’s Latest Power Grab So Surprising? (Even though it was “exactly what you might have expected.”)