Russia’s pensioners hope on Navalny

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According to the controversial pension reform, the protest potential is growing in Russia. The opposition politician Alexei Nawaly is the key figure in the protests. His re-arrest is considered to be a sign of nervousness in the Kremlin.

Navalny supporters at a Demonstration against the pension reform in Omsk

The fate of Russia’s most famous opposition politician Alexei Navalny is linked, in all likelihood, in the course of the planned pension reform. According to the assessment of Russia expert Stefan Meister from the German society for Foreign policy (DGAP) could be the protests against the pension reform, the results of the recent Governor elections and the re-arrest of Navalny’s in a connection.

“We see that the inclination to Protest in Russia has risen with the pension reform solid. And that in the case of regional elections, a lot of Protest has been chosen,” explains master of the DW. “Navalny is the key figure for this Protest.”

It was still dark when Alexei Navalny was early on the Monday morning for just a few seconds a free man. A DW reporter noted, on Video, as he left the detention center in Moscow, and then immediately re-arrested. A police bus has brought the 42-Year-old to court. According to his spokeswoman, he was sentenced to 20 days in jail.

In the process Navalny had spent due to a protest in January of this year, just 30 days behind bars. The new allegations, tweeted on Monday, his comrades-in-arms Leonid Volkov, had a Demonstration against the increase in the retirement age on 9. To do September. To this action namely also called for Navalny, however, could not participate because of the previous arrest them.

Alexei Navalny have been on 24. September taken in the early hours of the morning again

Discontent over pension reform

According to Russia expert, master re-arrest, Navalny’s campaign is a sign of “nervousness of the leadership”. In addition, there is in Moscow, apparently, the fear that the opposition politicians could quickly organize new protests, “the could not keep then from some point under control”.

In the summer the government announced the pension reform in Russia provides for a gradual increase in the pension before retirement to five years. In the original proposal, a particularly greater increase for women was provided, namely eight years.

After a wave of protests, President Vladimir Putin called for a reduction to five years. However, the protest mood has remained. As in the past few weeks, thousands against the Reform went on the weekend in Moscow, but also in other Russian cities took to the streets.

Against this Background, Stefan Meister speaks of a possible “key moment” for Navalny, the could how to mobilize, no other opposition in Russia across the country, meanwhile, only the young. “This pension reform has such a deep impact on society that it could actually come to a wider protest movement, if you would allow it,” says the Berlin-based expert. “We have a new Situation.”

After massive protests against the planned pension reform for women in Russia to work now, not eight, but “only” five years longer

Pro-Kremlin party loses Governor election
Another expression of this Situation, the results of the regional elections in the past few weeks and especially on Sunday. In the same two regions, in the far Eastern Khabarovsk and in the Central Russian region of Vladimir, lost to incumbent governors of the Pro-Kremlin party “United Russia” in the case of a runoff election. The winners are the candidates of the right-wing populist Liberal Democratic party of Russia (LDPR).

Political analyst Andrei Perzew from the Moscow Carnegie centre speaks of a “Protest vote”. The two LDPR-winner in Khabarovsk, and Vladimir wouldn’t have expected yourself to win. Perzew predicts a further strengthening of the protests because of the pension reform, particularly through 2021, if in Russia the next General election. Until then, there will be many people who have to work because of the Reform has taken longer than anticipated.

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