Mars 2018 - och sedan? Om successionsfrågan i Putins Ryssland

March 2018 – and then what? The issue of political succession in Putin’s Russia As president of Russia and a prominent political leader, Vladimir Putin has consistently endeavored to legitimize his rule by appealing to central political myths and taken-for-granted truths in Russian society. In rhetoric and official communication, he emerges as the guarantor of domestic order and stability, the protector of traditional values, and a staunch advocate of Russia’s status and position as a great power in a world often depicted as hostile. What is being communicated here, and apparently finds resonance among broad segments of public opinion, is that on all these parameters Putin is uniquely qualified to lead Russia. Four times in the course of 18 years, Putin has been elected president in the first round of elections, and throughout this period he has received high rankings in regular monthly opinion polls. However, his legitimation strategies have been so firmly linked to the persona of Putin that we may speak of an emerging dilemma with his fourth presidency. Who could fill his shoes as his successor? The article analyzes this dilemma, taking its point of departure in Weber’s seminal theorizing on types of legitimate authority and the routinization of charisma. It discusses the evident dearth of credible successor candidates, and concludes by discussing possible actions for dealing with or postponing the issue of succession