The Russian president uses a football tournament to quietly accept unpopular reforms and neutralize opponents. Protest is impossible: in all cities where the matches of the championship are held, there is a ban on holding any kind of shares, states the Moscow correspondent of Die Welt, Pavel Lokshin.

World Cup 2018 becomes for the Kremlin "ideal backstage for carrying out rude political actions," writes the journalist. "President Putin is clearly not the first to think of introducing unpopular innovations among the people, hiding behind sports events of this magnitude. However, what his government announced on the opening day of the 2018 World Cup is probably drawing on the most risky domestic political reforms over the past few years, "notes Lokshin.

It is a question of increasing the value added tax by 2 percentage points, to 20%, and also the age at which Russians leave for retirement - gradually, starting in 2019.

"The increase in value added tax, which against the background of falling real incomes will increase the costs of Russians, stoically-minded citizens could still ignore. But now the pension reform has agitated the people even in spite of the football championship, because it puts an end to the habits of Russians and the social and legal remnant of the Soviet times, "reads the article.

In just a week, Putin's rating, according to VTsIOM estimates, fell to 42% - the lowest result since 2013, the newspaper said..

The increase in the retirement age - for women from 55 to 63 years, for men from 60 to 65 - "is expected to be argued by a reduction in the number of working citizens and an increase in the life expectancy of Russians," writes Lokshin.

"It has long been clear that the pension system needs reform, but the Kremlin has been constantly dragging out with fundamental changes. Not surprisingly, according to polls, more than 80% of Russians spoke against raising the age of retirement. Many representatives of the liberal economic wing stand on their side, including the economist Andrei Movchan from the Carnegie Moscow Center, "the correspondent.

According to the expert, this reform will not be conducted, instead the non-working system that does not offer any impulses for self-provision of old age will only be mothballed.

In addition, the expert speaks of the risk of increasing unemployment among those who reach pre-retirement age: the Kremlin does not offer any measures to support older employees. In 10-15 years it will be necessary to raise the retirement age again, Movchan believes..

"For many Russians, the main reason for dissatisfaction with the reform is the fact that many Russian men do not even survive to retirement. In Russia, only 56% of men survive to 65 years of age (in Germany - 85%), "writes Lokshin.

Many do not understand why the state simply does not replenish the pension fund from the proceeds from the sale of oil and gas, the article says..

"Pro-Kremlin TV channels call the reform" inevitable "and invite in the talk show" toothless "critics, who are shouted by supporters of the reforms," ??the author of the article.

However, some left opposition MPs, independent trade unions and extra-parliamentary opposition managed to identify their dissatisfaction with the reform. Under the online petition within a few days signed more than 2 million people. This discontent, the journalist observes, can not splash out onto the streets - at least not in the Russian capital. Until July 25, there is a ban on public events in the venues of the 2018 World Cup.

"In the shadow of the World Cup, the Kremlin has also decided to take steps against the Russian-British Moscow Higher School of Social and Economic Sciences," continues Lokshin. - Soon after Russia won against Egypt with a score of 3: 1, the school was denied state accreditation ".

As the correspondent reports with reference to the Internet portal The Bell, Russian special services consider the private university to be a "bulwark of liberalism".

Recently, Putin's spokesman announced that the president "does not participate in the development of pension reform".

"Many experts interpret (these statements) as a preparation for the fact that Putin can blame the blame on the government of Medvedev, who is already not in good standing with the people. Having slightly changed the pension reform, the owner of the Kremlin could present himself as a benefactor, depriving the wind of the sail of impending protest. Not enough is only the Russian team's exit into the quarterfinals, "summarizes Lokshin.

Source: inopressa.