Putin puts himself above the law

Most London media, when reporting the constitutional changes in Russia, concentrated on the personalities of Putin, and, to a lesser extent, Medvedev. There was also some interest in the new PM, Mikhail Mishustin.

More dangerous for the future, though, would appear to be changes to legal institutions. As the chairman of the liberal Yabloko party pointed out last month:

The greatest concern is the rejection of the priority of international law and the actual liquidation of the Constitutional Court, which mean the final legalisation of repressive legislation, strengthening of an authoritarian state and isolation of Russia.

There is more of his speech here.