He stepped down in 2019. The FSF added him to the Board this weekend. Moreover, they did so with no announcement - the only source was Stallman's own statement

He stepped down in 2019. The FSF added him to the Board this weekend. Moreover, they did so with no announcement - the only source was Stallman's own statement at LibrePlanet, and the FSF had to issue a clarification that nobody involved with LibrePlanet knew that he was returning. https://twitter.com/fsf/status/1374399897558917128 https://twitter.com/fsf/status/1374399897558917128 It took them a few days to update their website. They still haven't said why he returned (did he ask? did they ask?), what he plans to do on the board, etc. Nobody was paying attention until he rejoined. He never stepped down as leader of the GNU Project, nor did the FSF ever suspend its relationship with the GNU Project. They could have just not added him, and maybe some weird people like me (https://twitter.com/geofft/status/1207131726176227330 https://twitter.com/geofft/status/1207131726176227330) would have thought less of them for it, but it's pretty clear they were continuing to exist as an organization, continuing to run events, etc. Which I guess brings up your last point, about who will champion his good ideas. First, the man is 68 years old, and the challenges facing free software and the importance of the cause are both greater than ever. He won't live forever, despite his prophetic appearance, and the FSF ought to have been figuring out who will champion the cause in the future. And he can't be everywhere at once and championing everything at once. Second, he did leave (at least on paper) in 2019. They've had over a year to actually figure out that answer. If the FSF has no answer for how to advocate for free software without the person of Richard Stallman, and that's why they brought him back, I really have no idea what they're doing at all. (And if you're wondering if there's anyone else who can be as uncompromising about free software, without being an un-asset, I want you to watch the acceptance speech of the Free Software Award from last weekend: https://sfconservancy.org/news/2021/mar/22/fsf-award-bkuhn/ https://sfconservancy.org/news/2021/mar/22/fsf-award-bkuhn/)