NEWSWATCH: “Russia to become a net borrower for first time in a decade”– bne...
“… Russia has been dipping into its rainy day Reserve Fund to cover the federal budget deficit but this fund is due to run out of money sometime next year. Now the government is actively preparing to...
View ArticleNEWSLINK: “What about Pensions? An underlying issue at next year’s...
“… Putin does not plan to retire any time soon. Yet many of his potential voters are worried about their own retirement prospects. Will their pensions be sizeable and reliable? At what age can Russians...
View ArticleNEWSWATCH: “Putin Won’t Tell Voters How He’ll Pay for Domestic Spending”–...
“… offering Russians the biggest increase in domestic spending in years … what [Putin] won’t be talking much about is the package of tax hikes, benefit cuts and other changes … to help pay for [it] …...
View ArticleNEWSWATCH: “Russian government ‘on the brink’ of increasing retirement ages”–...
“Russian government ‘is on the brink’ of increasing retirement age in Russia … Medvedev [said] … The current retirement age of 55/60 years was set in USSR … in [the] 1930’s when average life expectancy...
View ArticlePutin vs. Pensions: Will His Reelection Finally Free Him To Tackle Looming...
(Article ©2018 RFE/RL, Inc., Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – rferl.org – Mike Eckel – May 16, 2018 – article also appeared at...
View ArticleThree Prospective Reforms Likely to Hurt Putin with His Political Base in the...
(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, June 3, 2018) Vladimir Putin has the coercive resources and elite support to remain in office regardless of whether the population supports or deserts him,...
View ArticleJRL NEWSWATCH: “Authorities begin process of raising retirement age”– Bear...
“… the [Russian] government may submit a draft bill to the Duma to raise the retirement age. … suggest[ing] the strictest variant: 65 years for men, 63 years for women. … likely follow[ing] MinFin’s...
View ArticleRussians Getting Older, Reducing Pressure for and Likelihood of Change,...
(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, June 11, 2018) The average age of Russians today is much higher than in the past and will continue to rise in the coming decades, Pavel Pryanikov says; and...
View ArticleRUSSIALINK: “Live Longer, Work Longer, Says Russian Government; But the plan...
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – June 18, 2018) A long-shelved plan to raise the pension age risks coming up against a wall of protest, as Russians of all ages cling to their Soviet-era social...
View ArticleAs World Watches Russia, Opposition Seeks To Score With Pension Protests
(Article ©2018 RFE/RL, Inc., Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – rferl.org – Carl Schreck – June 20, 2018) – also appeared at...
View ArticleWorld Cup May Have Helped Russia But It hasn’t Boosted Putin
(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, June 24, 2018) Many commentators in both Russia and the West have suggested that the World Cup has helped Russia to overcome much of the opprobrium it has...
View ArticleRUSSIALINK: “Union-Led Protests Against Pension Reform Approved in 30...
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – June 26, 2018) Authorities have approved union-led protests against the Russian government’s proposed retirement age hike in 30 cities, including one to be held in...
View ArticleJRL NEWSWATCH: “Unions want to negotiate with the Duma on pension reform”–...
“The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia announced yesterday that they want an increase in the pension age to be part of a ‘package’ of labor market reforms … [such as] raising wages and...
View ArticleJRL NEWSWATCH: “Daily says Russian leaders’ ratings drop as they announce...
Vedomosti reports declining reported polling numbers for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, following announcements of pension reform. According to polling numbers...
View ArticleRussians Rally Against ‘Cannibalistic’ Pension Reform
(Article ©2018 RFE/RL, Inc., Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – rferl.org – July 1, 2018 – also appeared at rferl.org/a/russians-rally-against-retirement-age-increase/29330242.html) Thousands of people...
View ArticleRUSSIALINK: “Almost 90% of Russians oppose raising retirement age – poll”–...
MOSCOW. July 5 (Interfax) – An overwhelming majority of Russians disapprove of raising the retirement age and believe that the current age is optimal for both men and women, the Levada Analytical...
View ArticleJRL NEWSWATCH: “Russian Authorities Prepare to Soften Pension...
“[Sources claim that] Russian authorities are considering ways to soften a plan to raise the pension age … following protests and a slide in … Putin’s popularity ratings. The government announced its...
View ArticleRUSSIALINK: “Pensions in Russia to keep growing after 2024 – Labor Ministry”–...
MOSCOW. July 9 (Interfax) – Pensions will continue to grow after 2024, but the Labor Ministry is not ready to say at what rate. “We are now calculating everything through 2024, although the...
View ArticleRUSSIALINK: “Pension age should be increased in smooth, differentiated...
MOSCOW. July 11 (Interfax) – The pension age in Russia should not be increased for everyone simultaneously, but for every category of pensioners separately, Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana...
View ArticlePension Fight Highlights Russia’s Fundamental Problem – Its Government,...
(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, July 10, 2018) The fight over Moscow’s proposal to raise the pension age highlights the fact that Russia’s “main problem is a state [which] doesn’t fulfill...
View ArticleGovernors Back Moscow’s Pension Plan but Seek Exemptions for Their Own People
(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, July 16, 2018) Caught between the demands of the Kremlin which decides whether they will be in office and the opposing views of their populations that could...
View ArticleRUSSIALINK: “Civil Solidarity’s request to authorize rally against pension...
MOSCOW. July 18 (Interfax) – The administration of the park Sokolniki has approved a request made by the movement Civil Solidarity to authorize a public event on the territory intended for a ‘hyde...
View ArticleWorking-Age Russians Now More Pessimistic about Future than Pensioners,...
(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, July 17, 2018) The continuing stagnation or worse of the Russian economy has “upended the pyramid of social optimism” in Russia, Mikhail Sergeyev says....
View ArticleNEWSWATCH: “Pension reform”– BMB Russia/Aaron Schwartzbaum
“… Russian authorities have been dithering on the pension system literally for year. … [R]egardless of the character of a loss of benefits, pension reform is exactly that: a loss of benefits. … [T[here...
View ArticleNEWSLINK: “What’s Russia’s average pension? How much money will the...
“… $209 is Russia’s average monthly pension, according to the Pension Fund’s January 2018 records … 31.4% of Russians are pensioners. That’s 46 million people ….”
View ArticleDemography Being Abused in Russian Pension Age Debate, Vishnevsky Says
(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, July 22, 2018) Both supporters and opponents of the Russian government’s plan to raise retirement ages frequently invoke demographic statistics; but all too...
View ArticleThere is No “Reform” in Russia’s Recent “Pension Reform” Bill | Interview...
(PONARS Eurasia – Maria Lipman, Evgeny Gontmakher – July 26, 2018) [Text of interview here ponarseurasia.org/article/there-no-reform-russias-recent-pension-reform-bill-interview-evgeny-gontmakher]...
View ArticleRUSSIALINK: “Russians’ Willingness to Protest is Highest in 2 Decades, Survey...
More Russians are willing to participate in economic and political protests now than in the past two decades, according to a new survey released by the independent Levada Center pollster. Public...
View ArticleWill Pension Protests ‘Take Down’ Putin?
(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org – August 2, 2018 – Simon Saradzhyan – russiamatters.org/blog/will-pension-protests-take-down-putin) Simon Saradzhyan is the founding director of the Russia Matters...
View ArticleJRL NEWSWATCH: “Russians ready to protest pension reform, ratings of ruling...
“… discontent over controversial pension reform … keeps on snowballing … the readiness of Russians for mass protests over economic policies has risen from a record low to top 40% for the first time...
View ArticleNot So United: Russia’s Ruling Party Rattled By Pension-Reform Crisis
(Article ©2018 RFE/RL, Inc., Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – rferl.org – Yelizaveta Mayetnaya, Robert Coalson – August 5, 2018 [Text with links and graphics:...
View ArticleYes Or No: Is A Referendum In The Cards Over Russian Pension Reform?
(Article ©2018 RFE/RL, Inc., Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – rferl.org – Lyubov Chizhova, Robert Coalson – MOSCOW, August 10, 2018 – also appeared at...
View ArticleRUSSIALINK: “The State Duma Debated Pension Reform. Here’s What You Need to...
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – EVAN GERSHKOVICH – August 22, 2018) The State Duma convened this week to discuss the widely unpopular pension reform bill announced earlier this summer. Under the...
View ArticleRUSSIALINK TRANSCRIPT: “The [Russian] President’s address to Russian citizens...
(Kremlin.ru – August 29, 2018 – en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/58405) President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Citizens of Russia, friends, On June 16, 2018, the Government submitted to the State Duma...
View ArticleJRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin Dials Back Pension Plan After Backlash”– Wall Street...
“… Putin softened a plan to raise pension ages to bolster state finances, a rare backtrack following a public outcry that cut his approval ratings to the lowest level in more than four years. … Putin...
View ArticleLadies’ Man: Putin Cites ‘Caring Attitude’ In Pension-Reform Concession
(Article ©2018 RFE/RL, Inc., Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – rferl.org – Carl Schreck – Aug. 29, 2018 – also appeared at...
View ArticleRUSSIALINK: “Liability for firing people of pre-pension age may bar them from...
MOSCOW. Aug 31 (Interfax) – The introduction of criminal liability for employers who dismiss people of pre-pension age may have a negative effect on workers, Mikhail Shmakov, the head of the Federation...
View ArticleRUSSIALINK: “A Just Russia offers Communists to pool efforts for pension...
ROSTOV-ON-DON. Sept 3 (Interfax) – The parliament factions of the Russian Communist Party and A Just Russia should pool efforts to make the pension referendum happen, A Just Russia’s faction leader...
View ArticleJRL NEWSWATCH: “Russian Fury Over Pension Age Hike Clouds Moscow Mayoral...
“Polls show … [that Sergei Sobyanin] will comfortably be re-elected Moscow’s mayor on Sunday, but public anger over planned increases to the nationwide pension age means many voters may stay away,...
View ArticleJRL NEWSWATCH: “Fury Over Pension Changes Hurts Putin Allies in Russian...
“Russia’s ruling United Russia Party suffered a rare setback in regional elections despite winning most of the seats, a reversal its leaders and election chiefs blamed on unpopular plans to raise the...
View ArticleRUSSIALINK: “Authorized protest against higher retirement age held in...
NOVOSIBIRSK. Sept 13 (Interfax) – A protest against the higher retirement age took place in Novosibirsk on Thursday at the initiative of the Novosibirsk regional federation of trade unions. ‘The...
View ArticleRUSSIALINK: “Pension bill passes 2nd reading in State Duma, 3rd reading due...
MOSCOW. Sept 26 (Interfax) – Russia’s State Duma has passed the second and main reading of the bill on pension reform, which envisages a gradual increase of the retirement age. The deputies unanimously...
View ArticleRussian Retirement-Age Hike Advances As Putin’s Adjustment Approved
(Article ©2018 RFE/RL, Inc., Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – rferl.org – September 26, 2018 – article also appeared at...
View ArticleRussians Are Much Less Willing to Protest Retirement Age Hike, Poll Says
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – September 27, 2018) Fewer Russians are willing to take to the streets against government plans to raise the retirement age, according to an independent Levada...
View ArticleJRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s pension reform still seen as unjust, but less...
“The number of Russians willing to protest … unpopular pension reform and the hiking of the retirement age has dropped … from 53% in September to 35% in August, according to [the] Levada Center …....
View Article‘They’ve Stolen Everything’: In Russia’s Far East, Dreams Deferred Amid Grim...
(Article ©2018 RFE/RL, Inc., Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – rferl.org – Matthew Luxmoore – October 14, 2018 – also appeared at...
View ArticleRUSSIALINK: “Putin’s Approval Rating Lowest Since 2013 – Poll”– Moscow Times/...
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – October 25, 2018) President Vladimir Putin’s approval rating has fallen to 66 percent, its lowest level since 2013, according to a recent poll published by the...
View ArticleRUSSIALINK: “Medvedev: Pension Reform Was Hardest Decision of the Past...
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – December 6, 2018) Russia’s prime minister on Thursday said that this summer’s decision to raise the retirement age was the hardest the authorities have had to make...
View ArticleRUSSIALINK: “‘An Inescapable Phase of Life’: Fighting Loneliness Among...
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Evan Gershkovich – March 25, 2019 – themoscowtimes.com/2019/03/25/an-inescapable-phase-of-life-fighting-loneliness-among-russias-elderly-a64935) When Lydia...
View ArticleRUSSIALINK: “Putin Announces $7Bln Pre-Election Handouts”– Moscow Times
Putin has called for one-off cash payments to be awarded to Russia’s pensioners and military service personnel in a highly anticipated pre-election move [...]
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