What are the Main Amendments to the Russian Constitution Proposed in 2020?

From June 25 to July 1, 2020, a plebiscite on amendments to the constitution of this country is held in the Russian Federation.
The proposed constitutional changes caused a great resonance in Russia and in other countries of the world. There is heated debate about whether these amendments are needed.
The number of these amendments is quite large, but this small article is intended to give a fairly complete picture of they.

Proposed Constitutional Provisions

Below I give the main provisions that are proposed to be introduced into the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

1. Securing the most important historical foundations of the state:
   1.1 declaration of the continuity of the thousand-year history of Russia in the political, cultural and religious aspects;
   1.2 “protection of historical truth.” In particular, it is forbidden to “belittle the significance of the feat of the people in the defense of the Fatherland.”
2. The priority of the Constitution of the Russian Federation over international law into the country.
   The general principles of international relations are also stated in the following wording: “The Russian Federation takes measures to maintain and strengthen international peace and security, ensure the peaceful coexistence of states and peoples, and prevent interference in the internal affairs of the state.”
3. Reducing the dependence of deputies of the parliament, the President and appointed government officials on foreign influence by banning foreign citizenship (or foreign residence permit), a ban on deposits in foreign banks.
4. Changes in the government system:
   4.1 a ban on holding the office of the President for more than two terms (this provision will become effective after the next presidential election);
   4.2 strengthening the role of parliament:
   — The candidacy of the Prime Minister must be approved by the State Duma (lower house of parliament),
   — The president will be able to appoint the heads of law enforcement agencies and regional prosecutors only after preliminary consultations with the Federation Council (upper house of parliament),
   — The Federation Council will be able to remove from the posts of judges of the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court;
   4.3 strengthening the role of the Constitutional Court.
5. Securing the rights of the ex-President:
   5.1 inviolability is ensured, except in cases where he is accused of treason or the commission of another serious crime, confirmed by the conclusion of the Supreme Court;
   5.2 Gets the right to be a lifetime member of the Federation Council.
6. Securing some provisions of territorial policy:
   6.1 the introduction of the concept of “federal territories” (territories of direct federal subordination where military and strategic facilities, natural reserves and other special zones are located);
   6.2 actions and calls for the alienation of part of the country’s territory are prohibited.
7. Statement the first priority of state policy in relation to the development and education of children.
8. Specification of social guarantees of citizens:
   8.1 it is prohibited to pay below the subsistence level;
   8.2 the amount of pensions should be indexed every year.
9. Clarification of the basics of ethnic politics:
   9.1 the Russian people (ie the Great Russian ethnos) are considered state-forming as part of the “multinational (ie multiethnic) union of equal peoples of the Russian Federation”;
   9.2 the preservation and state protection of the cultural identity of indigenous minorities is guaranteed, the right to preserve the mother tongue of any ethnic group, “creating conditions for its study and development”;
   9.3 the state support should be provided “to compatriots living abroad in the exercise of their rights, ensuring the protection of their interests and preserving the all-Russian cultural identity.”

Conclusion

In 2020, a large package of amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation was prepared, the main of which are the following:
— the introduction of the primacy of domestic laws over international law;
— the shift of the “center of gravity” of power from the President to the collegial authorities;
— stricter requirements for government officials;
— specification of social guarantees of citizens;
— clarification of the rights of ethnic groups in Russia.