▁as ▁an ▁indic ation ▁of ▁strong ▁popular ▁support ▁of ▁the ▁then ▁Russian ▁leadership ▁and ▁its ▁policies . ▁▁ 2 0 0 8 – 2 0 1 2 : ▁Second ▁premi ership ▁▁ ▁Put in ▁was ▁bar red ▁from ▁a ▁third ▁consecutive ▁term ▁by ▁the ▁Constitution . ▁First ▁Deput y ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁D mit ry ▁Med ved ev ▁was ▁elected ▁his ▁successor . ▁In ▁a ▁power - switch ing ▁operation ▁on ▁ 8 ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁only ▁a ▁day ▁after ▁hand ing ▁the ▁presiden cy ▁to ▁Med ved ev , ▁Put in ▁was ▁appointed ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁of ▁Russia , ▁maintain ing ▁his ▁political ▁domin ance . ▁ ▁Put in ▁has ▁said ▁that ▁over coming ▁the ▁consequences ▁of ▁the ▁world ▁economic ▁crisis ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁main ▁achiev ements ▁of ▁his ▁second ▁Prem iers hip . ▁The ▁other ▁was ▁the ▁stabil izing ▁the ▁size ▁of ▁Russia ' s ▁population ▁between ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁and ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁following ▁a ▁long ▁period ▁of ▁dem ographic ▁collapse ▁that ▁began ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁United ▁Russia ▁Congress ▁in ▁Moscow ▁on ▁ 2 4 ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁Med ved ev ▁officially ▁proposed ▁that ▁Put in ▁stand ▁for ▁the ▁Pres iden cy ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁an ▁offer ▁Put in ▁accepted . ▁Given ▁United ▁Russia ' s ▁near - total ▁domin ance ▁of ▁Russian ▁politics , ▁many ▁obser vers ▁believed ▁that ▁Put in ▁was ▁assured ▁of