Page 22 - RUSRptOct18

2.11 Politics - misc
The pro-Kremlin head of Moscow Sergei Sobyanin has been re-elected
comfortably with 82% of the votes (on 82% ballots counted), rising from 51.4% of the votes in the 2013 elections, although the voter turnout in the capital slipped from 32% to 30% -- close to an all time low in a race where all opposition candidates were effectively excluded.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin pledged to self-finance the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in case foreign investors in the project are targeted by US Sanctions, during his August visit to Germany, RBC business portal said citing unconfirmed September 22 report by Süddeutsche Zeitung. The pipeline is being built by the Nord Stream 2 AG, which is 51% owned by Russian gas giant Gazprom and includes German Uniper, French Engie, Austrian OMV, Dutch-British Royal Dutch Shell, and BASF's Wintershall. German energy major Uniper in August was concerned over possible sanctions from the US and warned that should it risk any punishment for Nord Stream it would pull out of the project.
The State Duma adopted a bill to improve pension system in the second reading on September 25 . Earlier, lawmakers backed amendments proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin to the pension system change initiative. Thus, the age of 65 years would be set as retirement age for men, and 60 years for women. On July 19, the State Duma passed the pension system bill in the first reading. Initially, the document, which was suggested in mid-June by the government, provided a gradual increase in the retirement age of up to 65 years for men and up to 63 years for women. However, after the ruling party United Russia did poorly at regional elections in September the government is now keen to rush the legislation and start the process of forgetting about it. The third and final reading was due to follow a few days after the second reading.
The Russian economy remains “retarded” and “quasi-feudal,” especially in less developed region, the head of the Federal Anti-monopoly Service (FAS) Igor Artemyev said in an interview to Kommersant d aily, adding that the influence of the state in the economy has only strengthened under Western sanctions. FAS watchdog has long argued that the state itself is the main impediment to Russia's competitiveness and urged to limit the market share of state-controlled and municipal companies and their new acquisitions. "This is the peculiarity of creating a state-monopoly capitalism, of fusing the authorities and business," Artemyev told Kommersant . "This is the disease we have for a long time." Igor Artemyev is one of the quiet voices of reason in the government infrastructure, in charge of enforcing anti-trust legislation that Russian companies take surprisingly seriously.
The Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF) and the Liberal-Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) are planning to form coalition governments in three regions . United Russia candidates definitively lost two second-round gubernatorial elections this weekend and conceded one more. After winning gubernatorial elections in Khabarovsk, Khakassia, and Vladimir regions, the systemic opposition is teaming up to maximize their bargaining power against United Russia. Primorye is likely to be added to the list after the repeat election. Not only is this situation an embarrassment for the Kremlin, but it points to growing issue as unpopular reforms stress the status quo: who is
22 RUSSIA Country Report October 2018 www.intellinews.com