Changes

===Political career===

===Political career===

[[File:V Putin.jpg|thumb|200px]]

[[File:V Putin.jpg|thumb|200px]]

Putin is mainly backed by the [[United Russia]] (''Единая Россия'') party, which currently holds a majority in the lower chamber of the Russian parliament, known as the ''Duma''.  The party usually reflects the political views of Putin, which are that of moderate [[conservatism]] and [[nationalism]]. On March 14, 2004, he was elected to a second term as president with 71% of the vote. Barred from a third consecutive term by the Russian constitution, Putin ceded the presidency to [[Dmitry Medvedev]] on May 7, 2008, and became Prime Minister, at the time sharing power with the more moderate Medvedev. Medvedev did not run for a second term, and, as a result, Putin was re-elected in 2012.

Putin is mainly backed by the [[United Russia]] (''Единая Россия'') party, which currently holds a majority in the lower chamber of the Russian parliament, known as the ''Duma''.  The party usually reflects the political views of Putin, which are that of authoritarian statism and [[nationalism]]. On March 14, 2004, he was elected to a second term as president with 71% of the vote. Barred from a third consecutive term by the Russian constitution, Putin ceded the presidency to [[Dmitry Medvedev]] on May 7, 2008, and became Prime Minister, at the time sharing power with the more moderate Medvedev. Medvedev did not run for a second term, and, as a result, Putin was re-elected in 2012.

==Political views==

==Political views==