Putin's fifth term: Evolution of Putinism or a regime in fear?

Finnish expert Jussi Lassila analyzes Vladimir Putin's inauguration for his fifth term as President of Russia. "Putin does whatever he wants, but he is always afraid of absolutely everyone," he says.

Jussi Lassila, a senior research fellow at the Finnish Institute for Foreign Policy, in a discussion with "Iltalehti", described Putin's inauguration for his fifth term as president of Russia as "a new stage in the evolution of Putinism". "Putin does what he wants," says the Finnish expert.

In March, Bloomberg reported that Kremlin elites were concerned about "significant changes" following the presidential elections. At that time, it was said that Putin was planning major overhauls, which would result in the replacement of old faces with new ones. Then, Mihail Zygar, a senior researcher at the US Atlantic Council, speculated that Putin might promote Dmitry Patrushev, the son of his old confidant Nikolai Patrushev, to the position of Prime Minister.

Behind the scenes, a power struggle continues, but as Lassila notes, many key ministers, such as Sergey Lavrov (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), have been in their positions for years. Similarly, he believes Mikhail Mishustin will continue to serve as Prime Minister. On the other hand, as the Finn assesses, it is impossible to understand Putin's thought process. "The whole system is, in a sense, paralyzed. The governance is becoming more and more dictatorial," he underscores.

Lassila doubts whether Russia has any plans regarding a potential successor to Putin and the post-Putin era in general. "There is no doubt that Putin is afraid of everyone. It is visible that his trust in his immediate surroundings and the political system surrounding him is constantly decreasing," he adds.

Source: "Iltalehti"