Paul Goble
Staunton,
July 10 – Two contrasting figures were reported this week that raise some
intriguing questions about Russian political life at the regional level. On the one hand, the heads of almost half of
the country’s federal subjects have avoided talking about the pension plan. But
on the other, 61 regional parliaments have expressed grudging support.
The
independent television channel Dozhd, citing research by the Petersburg Politics
Foundation, reported that the heads of “only 27 of 84” federal subjects have
come out in favor of the pension plan, with 41 others either distancing
themselves from it and 24 more refusing to respond to queries about it (tvrain.ru/news/vlasti_pochti_poloviny_regionov-467397/).
At the same time, 61 of the federal
subject parliaments sent in messages of support, a figure that represents nearly
three-quarters of the total, although one that has already sparked complaints
in Moscow given that the center expected an even higher figure (polit.ru/article/2018/07/10/pension/
and kommersant.ru/doc/3682003).
Some of this difference may simply
be an artefact of timing: governors may yet come out in support as well as
additional legislatures. But the fact
that the two are not in lock step either with each other or with Moscow is
interesting and likely reflects conditions in each of them as well as differences
in their status.
The governors, although appointed by
Putin, are likely more used to navigating the political wilderness than are
members of the parliaments. And consequently, they may see a real need not to
get too close to what the Kremlin wants when that is something that is so
deeply unpopular while regional deputies may be more inclined simply to go along.
But however that may be, these
figures are another indication of just
how unpopular Moscow’s pension reform plan is and how dangerous it may prove if
the center decides as seems likely to ram in through with only cosmetic change
if that.
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