The Russian Federation The politics of Russia

The Russian Federation The politics of Russia

Russia is a federal presidential republic.

According to the Constitution of Russia, the President of Russia is head of state

The head of government, the prime minister, is appointed by the president and confirmed by the State Duma.

The President is the head of state and is elected by popular vote every six years for a maximum of two consecutive terms. The original constitution had four-year presidential terms, but this was amended to six years by parliament late in 2008.

The Federal Assembly of Russia is the Parliament of Russia

It consists of the State Duma, which is the lower house, and the Federation Council, which is the upper house. Both houses are located in Moscow .

The Federation Council (the upper house)

The Council isn’t directly elected. It consists of representatives of Russia’s federal entities – each has two. One is elected by the entity’s legislature; the other is nominated by the entity’s head.

The State Duma (the lower house)

The 450 deputies are elected each five years following constitutional amendments.

All bills, even those proposed by the Federation Council, must first be considered by the State Duma. Once a bill is passed by a majority in the Duma, a draft law is sent back to the Federation Council. If the Council rejects it, the two houses may form a commission to work out a compromise.

The State Duma and the Federation Council usually meet separately. Joint sessions are organized when the President of Russia delivers his annual address to the Federal Assembly and in some other very rare occasions.