EVENT

The speaker of the lower house of the Russian parliament (State Duma) announced on 7 April that the legislature would vote on whether to confirm Vladimir Putin as prime minister on 8 May, the day after he stands down as president.

The announcement gives final confirmation that Putin will indeed become prime minister after he hands over the presidency to Dmitry Medvedev. The vote in the Duma, which is dominated by the pro-Putin United Russia party (which holds 315 of the 450 available seats), will be little more than a rubber stamp.

FORECAST

The parliamentary vote and United Russia convention should secure Putin's position as a major influence on Russian politics beyond his tenure as president. Although his position should not be overstated and Medvedev is unlikely to become a simple figurehead, Putin is likely to hold significant sway over foreign and security policy.