The Ratio of Formal and Actual Powers of the President of Russia: Influence on the Federal and Regional Political Process

Abstract

Introduction. The entry into force of the amendment to the Constitution of the Russian Federation in 2020 marked the beginning of a new stage in Russia’s constitutional development, substantially transforming the status and powers of the president. The aim of this article is to identify the formal and actual powers of the Russian President in 2018–2025, as well as to assess their congruence in the context of the federal and regional levels of public authority.Materials and Methods. The study is based on the author's methodology, which synthesizes the index analysis of the form of government (A. Crouwel – O. Zaznaev), the assessment of legislative and non-legislative powers of the president (M. Shugart – J. Carey), as well as the index of institutionalization of the presidency. The powers of the president are systematized into fi ve groups, with specifi c powers and criteria for their measurement (ranging from 0 to 3 points) defined for each group, based on constitutional norms and political practice.Results. It has been established that the actual powers of the president exceed the formal ones (+5 points out of 50). A number of constitutional prerogatives (the veto power, dissolution of the Duma, dismissal of governors) are applied extremely rarely or not used at all; the expansion of actual power occurs through indirect mechanisms: the appointment of acting regional heads, the assessment of governors' performance, and resignation “at one's own request”. The 2020 amendments and the federal laws adopted in their development brought formal norms closer to established practice, thereby increasing the congruence of institutional rules.Conclusion. In the new constitutional model, the president consolidates the functions of the head of the executive branch, while other bodies organize their interaction within the framework of a unified system of public authority. Alongside the federal level, the president possesses broad instruments of influence over the regional political process, which strengthens the manageability of the system. At the same time, the enhancement of presidential powers brings to the fore the issue of mechanisms for ensuring stability in the event of a possible change of head of state or a shift in the party composition of the Parliament. The results may be used in public administration to improve institutional mechanisms and enhance the resilience of the political system.