Page 25 - RusRPTNov18

priority is, as always, maintaining political stability, and electoral performance has taken on increasing significance after United Russia’s setbacks in regional elections a few weeks ago.
● Nine governors have resigned since September 26, including the governors of St. Petersburg, Astrakhan, and Kabardino-Balkaria. More changes are expected in the coming weeks.
● Both of the replacements named by Putin have local roots as well as extensive experience at the federal level. Both are expected to govern as federal-style technocrats, not local elites.
● In Bashkortostan and Kursk, the governors’ terms expire in 2019. The new head of Zabaykalsky Krai will be up for reelection in 2021.
2.12 Polls & Sociology
Five Russian companies made it on the Forbes list of 500 world's best employers . The rating was published on Wednesday on the US Forbes' official website. Research showed that the best Russian employer is the Moscow Exchange, which occupies the 117th place in the rating. Russia's oil and gas company Surgutneftegas takes the 167th place, while United Aircraft Corporation holds the 278th spot. Russia's flagship air carrier Aeroflot is at the 341st position in the rating, and Lukoil energy corporation occupies the 450th place.
As the wave of post-Crimea annexation patriotism is waning, the overall sentiment of Russians has fallen back to its pre-Crimea annexation levels of negative traits last observed in 2014, which was facilitated by the adoption of largely unpopular pension reform , the study of Committee of Civil Initiatives (KGI) claims, as cited by Vedomosti daily and RBC business portal on October 10. The KGI has accurately predicted mass unrest in 2011-2012 that followed allegedly rigged parliamentary elections. The new broad study based on focus group interviews, social media analysis and polls by independent pollster the Levada Center suggests that Russians are feeling an explosive mix of high demands for change, aspirations for justice rather than for strong power, and increased self-reliance coupled with disillusionment in the state.
Russians are healthier and better educated than their per capita income would suggest , the World Bank found in a survey. The education and health of those Russians born in 2017 by the time the come of age at 18 years old will be comparable to their peers in counties with high standards of life, the World Bank's Human Capital Index (HCI) shows . Notably, the Russia's generation alpha’s HCI of 0.73 is slightly higher than the average for its region and higher than the average for its income group, according to the report. Globally, 56% of all children born today will grow up to be, at best, half as productive as they could be; and 92% will grow up to be, at best, 75% as productive as they could be. In Russia, a child born today will be 73% as productive when she/he grows up as she/he could be if she enjoyed complete education and full health. Out 100 newborns born in Russia 99 will live to be 5 years old. A child who starts school at age 4 can expect to complete 13.8 years of school by the 18th birthday. At the same time 78% of 15-year olds will survive until the age of 60. Russian students also score 538 on harmonised test score scale, where 625 represents advanced attainment and 300 represents minimum attainment. Notably, girls in Russia score an HCI of 0.73 versus 0.68 for boys, beating the boys on life expectancy, test scores, and duration of education.
25 RUSSIA Country Report November 2018 www.intellinews.com