RUSSIA'S HIDDEN CRISIS: HOMELESSNESS Officially, authorities in Moscow maintain that there are only some 60,000 homeless in Russia. However, the true figure is believed to be "vastly" higher, with the country suffering from a significant homelessness crisis. Paul Goble, citing Russian analysts, suggests that the true figure of homelessness "is much larger, at least 1.5 million and perhaps as much as eight million" - equivalent to more than one in twenty Russians. "Russian officials are lowballing the numbers so that they can avoid taking responsibility which is already harming the country's population because the absence of a program to address the issue means that businesses can exploit the homeless, often reducing them to the position of virtual slavery," notes Goble in his Window on Eurasia blog. "Moscow is also avoiding taking any action because of public opposition to the opening of any refuges for the homeless at least in major cities, and so at present there seem few prospects that the country will address a problem that most people prefer to ignore." As a result, Russia's homelessness problem continues to fester. (Window on Eurasia, January 2, 2022)
NEXT STOP, THE MOON
NATURAL GAS FOR FOREIGN INFLUENCE, NOT DOMESTIC CONSUMPTION Without such access, places like Chita are forced to rely on coal powered stations to provide heat to the city center, while suburban homes use wood-burning furnaces and stoves. Nor is this situation likely to change any time soon; state natural gas giant GAZPROM has pledged to build more local pipelines over the next decade, but analysts say that the company's decisions about which and how many new energy routes to build within the country will overwhelmingly be driven by economic considerations. (Financial Times, January 3, 2022)
RUSSIA'S ECONOMY IS HEADED BACK TO THE FUTURE The reason, experts say, has to do with the fiscal strategy adopted by the Russian government over the past two years - an approach that has colloquially been termed "Fortress Russia." While other countries have adapted their economies by overhauling policies, shifting priorities or launching new projects, Russia has attempted to go back to a "business-as-usual" approach that prioritizes stability over growth. "The authorities learned that their policy has worked — as far as they're concerned," explains Elina Ribakova of the Institute of International Finance. "Now, they are very focused on the macroeconomic situation, stability and their conservative policies. In turn, they've somewhat given up on regional policies and the policies of providing better quality services to people." (The Moscow Times, January 4, 2022) |