Russian President Vladimir Putin submitted to the State Duma amendments to the basic law of the country - its Constitution. Their content has become a subject of debate in Russian society.
Presented at the 24 page document contains a number of amendments, designed in a conservative spirit that may have a significant impact on the further development of the internal, and the country's foreign policy. At first, The President proposed an amendment to amend the Constitution of the Russian position on the role of state-forming Russian people. In this way, at the constitutional level to be emphasized, that the Russian - especially the state of the Russian people.
Secondly, despite the secular nature of the Russian state, President of the Russian Federation proposed an amendment to the Constitution the concept of "God".
Russian Federation, combined millennial history, keeping the memory of our ancestors, conveyed to us the ideals and faith in God, as well as the continuity in the development of the Russian state, It recognizes the historically established state unity,
– appears in the presidential amendment.
Initiative reference to God in the Constitution comes from the Patriarch Kirill. The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church in February 2020 g. He urged to pray, to the Russian law generally referred to "such a lofty idea, which is the belief in God ".
Thirdly, in the Constitution proposed to consolidate the definition of the family as a union of man and woman. obviously, This measure was required due to the ongoing worldwide wave of gay marriage. Stressing the Constitution, that the family can create a man and a woman, the president, thereby, It proposes to deprive supporters of same-sex marriages, the possibility of making such a form of official relations of family status, at least, without changing the basic law of the country.
Also in the Constitution of the Russian Federation proposed to consolidate the succession with respect to the Soviet Union on its territory, as well as international obligations and contracts, Membership in international organizations.
It offered and one more point - about honoring the memory of Fatherland Defenders and the inadmissibility of reviewing their feat. Prior to this, the Duma committee has approved amendments, providing for the prohibition of any exclusion areas, members of the Russian, as well as appeals to the alienation of territories.
In this way, Vladimir Putin's amendments are clearly conservative, traditionalist character. The President intends to consolidate around him supporters of traditional values, for whom concepts such as the Russian people and the family are sacred. But for the amendments of the state-the role of the Russian people or the family as a union of a man and a woman can not see a number of no less significant amendments, that can radically change the entire existing power system.
So, in the Constitution can be secured existence of the State Council. formed by the President. as prescribed, that the president will provide overall leadership of the country, that actually makes it into the head of the executive authorities of Russia.
No less interesting is the proposal to include in the Constitution a provision on the inviolability of the former President of the Russian Federation. Although immunity has been confirmed in law at the very beginning of Vladimir Putin's rule, that it was seen by many as an attempt to protect the then still living Boris Yeltsin from possible criminal prosecution, Now click on the inviolability of the ex-president will make to the Constitution of the Russian Federation.
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Need to mark, that the presidential amendments have already met with a mixed reaction in Russian society, which is not surprising, given its very complex ethnic, religious composition, polar political views of our fellow citizens, and many other factors. So, Chairman of Russian Council of Muftis Ravil Gainutdin noticed, that we should not deviate from the wording of the multinational people of Russia, and stressed, that the concept of "God" is perceived differently by different faiths: Judaism, eg, prohibit the mention of his name in vain, and Buddhist idea of a creator God at all alien.
For many supporters of secular values such amendments as the mention of God can be seen as attempts to archaism of the basic law of the country with all its consequences. However, among the general population related to the possible change of the Constitution rather passive and quiet: no pronounced enthusiasm, any manifestations of discontent.
Anyway, Russians will be able to express their attitude to the constitutional amendments, voted 22 April 2020 year for or against amendments. If more 50% who came to support the referendum amendment, they will be accepted.
Ilya Polonsky
