JRL NEWSWATCH: “Stroppy in Strunino; The lessons from protests in small-town Russia; The government is getting less and less popular” – The Economist

Map of Russia and Russian Flag adapted from images at state.gov

“… in this sleepy town some 120km north-east of Moscow … when local activists organised a march … against planned cuts to medical services, more than 100 people took to the streets. …. an example of shifts in public opinion … reshaping the country’s political landscape. … The rapture [over Ukraine] began to fade … when the government announced plans to raise the retirement age. … pension reform was … a catalyst for dormant discontent. Real incomes in Russia have fallen …. [N]early 40% of Russians say their material well-being has worsened in the past year. … Such complaints can be heard across the country …. Russians have become more willing to challenge the authorities. In gubernatorial elections … protest votes defeated Kremlin-backed candidates in four regions. The share of the population ready to participate in political or economic protests … was at 6-8% last March; by the end of 2018, it had reached 22-30% …. Discontent has shifted from the urban middle class that rose against electoral fraud … to byudzhetniki, or public-sector employees. …”

Click here for: “Stroppy in Strunino; The lessons from protests in small-town Russia; The government is getting less and less popular” – The Economist


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