Kathrine Frich
Despite Putin’s comments about succession, there is currently no clear heir apparent.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged that he regularly considers the issue of succession, suggesting that a future transition could involve multiple candidates.
Think about it all the time
His comments were made during a state television documentary marking his 25 years in power, titled “Russia, the Kremlin, Putin, 25 Years”.
“I think about it all the time,” said the 72-year-old president when asked whether he reflects on the question of who might succeed him.
“Ultimately, the choice belongs to the people, the Russian people. I believe there should be one person or rather, several people so that the people have a choice.”
Putins Trip to Power
Putin, a former KGB lieutenant colonel, has led Russia as either president or prime minister since 1999.
He first assumed the presidency on the final day of that year, taking over from Boris Yeltsin.
He served as president until 2008, then as prime minister until 2012, and has held the presidency again since then, making him the longest-serving Kremlin leader since Joseph Stalin.
According to the Russian Constitution, in the event that the president is unable to fulfill their duties, the prime minister, currently Mikhail Mishustin, would assume presidential responsibilities.
During his time in power, Putin has steadily consolidated control, suppressing political dissent and building an authoritarian system centered on his leadership.
This system has endured political unrest, economic crises, wars, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
No apparent Heir
Despite Putin’s comments about succession, there is currently no clear heir apparent.
In January, as Putin prepared to run for a fifth presidential term in heavily controlled elections, a BBC correspondent interviewed a pensioner in Rzhev, central Russia, about the possibility of a successor.
“Not right now,” she replied, echoing a sentiment cultivated by the Kremlin throughout Putin’s rule.
“Maybe Putin will find someone later. But I think he’ll be in power for a long time still.”
A Natural Aging
To explore potential post-Putin scenarios, Systema, an investigative unit of RFE/RL, surveyed 150 political scientists, sociologists, and journalists from Russia, the U.S., and Europe.
More than 40 responded, discussing possible transitions and successors.
Many said that any such speculation remains hypothetical and largely speculative. Some noted there are no clear signs that Putin is actively grooming a successor.
“The weakening and eventual crisis of the Putin regime will result from its natural aging,” said Ukrainian political scientist Volodymyr Fesenko.