"We are returning...". Issues of pension provision in the elections to the State Duma of the Russian Federation of the VIII convocation.

Abstract

One of the main directions of the state's social policy is to support the elderly. In the Russian Federation, after the last pension reform of 2018, the issue of pension provision has become one of the main points of tension in the relationship between the state and society, which was reflected in the federal election campaign of 2021. The subject of study in this article is the proposals of political parties in the field of pension policy. The election programs of the parties in the 2021 elections to the State Duma of the Russian Federation of the VIII convocation were used as the object of the study. The author examines the attitude of the authors of pre-election programs to certain aspects of pension reform, including changes in the retirement age, the direction of further reforms, social protection of pensioners and pre-retirees, in addition, a comparison with the position of the parties in 2016 was made. The results of the study are based on the use of general scientific methods and principles of scientific knowledge, a systematic approach, comparative analysis and historical objectivity. Despite the continued significant interest of the population in the pension problem in 2021, which sharply increased after the retirement age was increased, the parties were unable to fully realize the potential of this issue. Speaking from critical positions, they focused on counter-reform, reducing most of the proposals to a return to the past, practically offering no innovations. Most of the statements on raising the level of pensions were clearly populist in nature and had no mechanism for their implementation. Regarding the 2016 elections, opposition parties have noticeably intensified criticism of the existing system and the Pension Fund of Russia. United Russia, on the other hand, distanced itself as much as possible from the pension reform, without touching on the latest changes in its election theses. It can be expected that in the next election cycle, the pension issue will retain the status of one of the central issues in the election campaign.