What does the Kremlin say in its defense? It invokes the economic crisis and the time needed to deal with it; it points to Russian exceptionalism and the country's dire need for a strong leader. "To be honest, I do not think that Russia should be a parliamentary republic," Medvedev said at a press conference on Tuesday. "I think this would be fatal for the country." And in the saltiest Russian manner, he invoked the "you hypocrite Americans do it all the time" excuse, saying, "Some countries do it less often, like the United States, for example, though they too have passed a fair few amendments over the years."
Most baffling of all, however, was Medvedev's harking back to the days of the tsarist ancien regime when the French were to be emulated in all things. When Madeleine Albright asked him at the G20 summit why the Russians were so keen to extend presidential term limits, Medvedev replied like a borscht-belt comedian: "That's normal for an incumbent administration--trying to enhance your capabilities." He then added, "But I was guided by other considerations. ... Recall the Constitution that France had at the time of De Gaulle. It gave the President a seven-year term in office. I think it played a good part in helping France to develop as a strong nation."
So there you have it, folks: Russia is moving towards a de Gaullian form of government.
