Protests Continue in Russia Against Government's Pension Age Reform

Thousands of citizens across Russia have once again taken to the streets in various cities to protest the government's pension reform and related rights issues. In response to previous protests, Putin made some changes to the government's proposal. The leader of the Communist Party, which is at the forefront of the protests, stated that the demonstrations are being held nationwide. Gennady Zyuganov described the government's reforms under Vladimir Putin as akin to 'cannibalism.' Reports indicate that protests have occurred in Moscow, the capital, St. Petersburg, the second-largest city, in the Ural Mountains, Siberia, and the Far East of the country. The Russian parliament approved a plan in July to raise the retirement age for women to 63 and for men to 65. This plan faced widespread protests, and reports suggest that the popularity of the Russian president has significantly declined during this period. In response to the initial wave of protests, Vladimir Putin made some adjustments to the proposal and ordered that the retirement age for women be raised to 60, while the retirement age for men remained at 65. Currently, the retirement age for women is 55 and for men is 60. According to the World Health Organization, the average life expectancy for men in Russia is 66 years, and for women, it is 77 years. Critics of the government's plan argue that there is not enough time left for citizens to benefit from retirement. On the other hand, Putin stated that the recent reforms are necessary due to the country's labor shortage. Reports suggest that the new plan and the related protests have become the biggest domestic challenge for the government since Putin's re-election in March.