The Russian constitution explicitly allows a return to power after a term away like what Putin managed. So not exactly sure how that last statement of yours is

The Russian constitution explicitly allows a return to power after a term away like what Putin managed. So not exactly sure how that last statement of yours is an argument (pro or contra). In Germany, on the other hand, the Chancellor is not elected via a direct people vote, its terms are not limited. And just because of the segmentation of the partisan landscape Merkel could stay in power much longer than its party has even a third of the people votes. While not criticizing Merkel here for anything I just want to point out that a definition of a democracy must be a very flexible one to accommodate this constellation.