Vladimir Putin has ruled Russia for two decades, and for much of that time his grip on power seemed unshakeable. This episode of Inside Story, Al Jazeera’s current affairs discussion programme, asks whether that is still true. It was recorded at a time of street protests in Moscow, falling approval ratings and growing discontent over pensions, living standards and corruption, and it brings together analysts to debate whether Putin’s authority is finally weakening.
The discussion looks at the sources of Putin’s power, from control of the media and the security services to the support of a loyal elite, and at the forces working against him. Opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s anti-corruption investigations had reached a wide audience, regional elections were producing unexpected results, and younger Russians were increasingly turning away from state television to the internet. The panellists also consider whether a successor is being prepared, and what a post-Putin Russia might look like.
This programme matters because the question of Putin’s future is also a question about Russia’s future. Inside Story does not offer a simple answer, but it lays out the arguments on both sides, and helps viewers understand why even a leader as powerful as Putin cannot take his position for granted.