Russian pension reform sparks protests as Putin’s ratings fall
Pension reform is genocide!” “You deprive us of our pension – we deprive you of your authority!” “We don’t want to die working!”
These were only some of the slogans shouted by Russian protesters during mass rallies last weekend, held in response to a new reform that will rise the retirement age in Russia. From Moscow to St Petersburg to Siberia to the country’s Far East, the rallies were a nationwide phenomenon across the world’s biggest country.
For Vladimir Putin, the situation represents a rare mis-step. The tough-guy president has, for years, presented himself as a national defender, fully in synch with the concerns of the Russian street.
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