Russia: the doubt in minor mode of retirees (3/4)
Audio 02:27
In Russia, retirees represent around a quarter of the population and are part of the electoral base of Vladimir Putin and the ruling United Russia party.
(Illustrative image) © Getty Images / Olga Shumytskaya
By: Anissa El Jabri Follow
5 mins
With galloping inflation in recent years, the purchasing power of Russian retirees, already very weak, has fallen considerably.
Aware of the discontent, Vladimir Poutine announced in this return and a few weeks before the elections a bonus for retirees.
But discontent arises.
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From our correspondent in Moscow,
Buildings and lawns kept up to date, here we are in a wealthy middle-class district south of Moscow.
In the entrance of a building, a concierge surrounded by plants strictly supervises the comings and goings.
The elevator plays music.
Olga Souvol welcomes us with make-up, carefully dressed.
So flirtatious that when asked about her age, Olga warns: "
Just say I'm a little over 70
, because if my dance partner finds out I'm older than him, he might drop me
!"
There are so many young people
!
"
Retirees on a tight budget
On her phone screen, Olga proudly shows excerpts from dance competitions in which she regularly participates.
Olga, who has long accumulated several jobs at the beginning of her retirement, is an active woman and proud of it, even on a reduced budget.
“
You know, it's personal and I don't want to upset other people, but I think if you still have your head, you can always find solutions.
For example, I buy French cosmetics, but only when there are big discounts,
”says the retiree.
And sometimes she really tightens her belt: “
Yes, often the prices are too high, so I go without meat and eat vegetables.
Nothing serious !
It's always possible to get out of it.
"
Doubts that appear
Enter her engineer friend, retired for 20 years. Nadjeda Markina is more critical: “
I have heard that in Europe, even unemployed people can earn up to
$ 2,000 a month, while with us, a pension of
20,000 rubles, 230
euros, is is already very good. And then on the Internet, I saw that in our country the minimum wage is one of the lowest in the world, apart from Mexico or Venezuela. So we, if it is, we have worked our whole life for free
! It is an offense to the Russian population
, ”she thinks.
Sitting in the kitchen around a teapot and cupcakes, the two friends are adamant: for them, there is, whatever happens, no alternative to the power in place.
So this weekend they will put in the ballot box as usual: a United Russia bulletin.
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