How does Russia get new leaders?

Russia has presidential elections every six years (used to be four). Their next one is scheduled for 2024. Putin has won by large margins every time for decades.

As someone pointed out to me recently, Russia really hasn’t known any type of rule other than autocracy.

I was recently traveling long distance by car and listening to NPR while on the trip. There was a news piece about Russians and how many of them actually like Putin. One lady interviewed said that under Boris Yeltsin, the average Russian citizen had little money. There were very long lines for basics like bread and toilet paper. The theaters were closed because nobody had money to go to the theater. Under Putin, they have not only the basic necessities but some more pleasurable and luxurious foods and provisions. They have money and the theaters are open so they can go to the theater now and then. This, to them, is priceless and they credit Putin for it.

It’s unfortunate but true, that just as in China, people will settle for autocracy and stability in preference to democracy and insecurity.

Usually they die and another is chosen from the ruling party.
Putin has been “elected” to be president for life.

Only way to get a new one in Russias case if for some General to take him out.

@kiptner Was he really elected for life or were people just too afraid to end up like his opponents? In jail or dead.

@HP That’s not always true, sometimes people are willing to risk their security for the sake of democracy. Look at Ukraine right now.

@Pandora It was on the national news. (NBC, CBS, ABC)

@kritiper Oh, I wasn’t saying it wasn’t true. I mean, can you really call it a vote when the person running imprisons or kills his opponents? And can we say for certain that many Russians didn’t vote for him out of fear of what he would do to them if they didn’t vote for him?

Voted on or not, Putin has been president of Russia for 22 years.