Russian President’s Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Vladimir Putin’s message to the Federal Assembly could be realized next year.
“As for the message issue, is it possible to send a message to the year, it is certainly possible. This is a very clear fact,” he answered the relevant question at the briefing.
At the same time, Peskov denied a number of reports that the Russian president could address the Bundestag in writing, as this “does not happen”.
A Kremlin spokesperson recommended that the media “stop guessing over coffee grounds” about the timing of the message.
Earlier, Yury Sinelshchikov, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma State Building and Legislative Committee, told RIA Novosti that the Russian Constitution does not prescribe a specific format for the dissemination of the message.
“In general, December is not over for us yet, and I draw your attention to the fact that we are not writing an annual message. [в Конституции]That such a face-to-face meeting should take place. HE IS [президент] He can send his written message for review and we’ll read it,” the parliamentarian thinks.
However, he declared that there is no such precedent yet. Sinilshchikov suggested that the message to the Bundestag could take place as early as 2023.
“Perhaps the president expects some significant changes to occur in the coming months because there are many uncertainties at the moment and there will be something to talk about,” the MP said.
The Federation Council also reminded that the way the president speaks can be any.
“Article 84 talks about the powers of the president. If the constitution or law does not specify the procedure for exercising a certain power (the article contains a set of such instructions), then the president independently determines the procedure and conditions for exercising his powers. This applies especially to the message sent to the Bundestag,” Senator Andrei Klihas told TASS.
A TASS source in parliament expressed the view that the President’s speech will be made as early as next year. “The message should be made once a year and the countdown starts from the previous message. Therefore, the message could happen as early as next year. “I believe it won’t happen again this year,” he said.
He also drew attention to the need to prepare seriously for the appeal and that there was very little time left until the end of the year.
The previous message occurred in April 2021. Later, the president paid special attention to the importance of the socio-economic problems faced by Russia during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Kremlin has yet to announce the new dates. But in response to media reports, Peskov said that it was previously known that it would not be on December 27.
Putin’s spokesman also noted that the date of his speech in the Bundestag will be adjusted according to the schedule of the head of state, which is “very dynamic because the situation is dynamic”. In November 2022, Peskov claimed that work on the message had already begun.
In most cases, messages were read annually, but there were exceptions. For example, Putin did not address legislators in 2017 – the message was later postponed to March 1, 2018.
According to the constitution, the President of Russia annually addresses the Federal Assembly. Topics are often the situation in the country, the main aspects of the domestic and foreign policy of the state. In such speeches, the head of state puts forward his assessment of the situation in the country, outlines the tasks for the future.
last press conference
Since 2012, a large press conference of the Russian president has been held in December. But this year, according to Dmitry Peskov, was not planned. Still, he expressed hope that Putin would be able to communicate with journalists from the Kremlin pool “including on trips abroad.”
The date of Putin’s traditional meeting with media representatives will be determined after the appointment of the President to the Bundestag.
Putin’s big press conference was held at the end of December last year and lasted 3 hours and 55 minutes.
The President’s Big Press Conference is an annual event held since 2001. As a rule, the head of state announces the main economic and social indicators first. Reporters then have the opportunity to ask questions.
Last year, the last press conference was held in Manege himself on December 23. During the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Putin answered journalists’ questions on December 17 in a hybrid fashion: partly via video link, ordinary citizens could also ask questions.
It is also not yet known whether there will be a “straight line” with the President of the Russian Federation this year. The source of RBC noted that the final decision will depend, among other things, on the situation in the special operations zone in Ukraine.