Social Reforms in the1990s and 2000s

SOCIAL REFORMS IN
RUSSIA IN THE 1990S AND
2000S: IDEOLOGIES,
STRATEGIES AND
POLITICAL FACTOR
ANDREY STARODUBTSEV
(ANDREY.STARODUBTSEV@HELSINKI.FI)
ALEKSANTERI INSTITUTE (UNIVERSITY OF
HELSINKI)
MULTIPLE STREAMS
FRAMEWORK
PROBLEMS
1991 1993
1996
1999
2000
2002
Poverty (%)
11.7
(-)
31.5 22.1 28.4 29
24.6
(36.9) (43.2) (41.5) (35.9) (19.6)
Unemployment
(%)
-
5.9
9.7
13.0
10.5
8.0
Inequality (Gini
coefficient)
0.26
0.39
0.38
0.40
0.40
0.40
Source: Linda Cook, p. 81
FREEDOM IN RUSSIA
7
6
5
4
Freedom
3
2
1
0
Civil Freedom
Poiitical Freedom
POLITICS:
ELECTORATE
Presidential
Elections
1991 (I)
1996 (II)
2000 (I)
2004 (I)
A Reformer
57,3
53,82
52,94
71,31
Opposition
16,85
40,31
29,21
13,69
Parliamentarian
Elections
1993
1995
1999
2003
Reformers
15,51
10,13 23,32 37,56
Opposition
12,40
22,30 24,49 12,61
POLITICS OF
REFORMS
Period
Characteristics
1991 - 1993
Anti-reformist parliament
Extremely poor economic and social situation
Gaidar’s economic reforms
POLITICS OF
REFORMS
Period
Characteristics
1991 - 1993
Anti-reformist parliament
Extremely poor economic and social situation
Gaidar’s economic reforms
1993 - 1995
Pro-presidential parliament
Extremely poor economic and social situation
Progress in economic reforms
POLITICS OF
REFORMS
Period
Characteristics
1991 - 1993
Anti-reformist parliament
Extremely poor economic and social situation
Gaidar’s economic reforms
1993 - 1995
Pro-presidential parliament
Extremely poor economic and social situation
Progress in economic reforms
1996 - 1999
Anti-reformist parliament
Economic stabilization in 1996 – 1997
Financial crises in 1998 – 1999
Attempts to reform a social policy
PROGRAM 1996 –
2000: CONTEXT
“Generally speaking, the situation in the social sphere can be
characterized as ambiguous and contradictory. Along with
some positive impacts, many negative things has been
stagnating, some social problems were compounded and are
serious threats to social and economic stability of our
society”.
PROGRAM 1996 –
2000: GOALS
1.
achieve real improvement in the living conditions of people;
2.
ensure effective employment; to improve the quality and
competitiveness of the labor forces;
3.
guarantee the constitutional rights of citizens in the spheres
of labor, social welfare, education, health care, culture and
housing;
4.
reorient social policy to family, to ensure the rights and
social guarantees for family, women, children and young
people;
5.
normalize and improve the demographic situation, to reduce
mortality, especially among children and working-age
citizens;
6.
significantly improve the social infrastructure.
POLITICS OF
REFORMS
Period
Characteristics
1991 - 1993
Anti-reformist parliament
Extremely poor economic and social situation
Gaidar’s economic reforms
1993 - 1995
Pro-presidential parliament
Extremely poor economic and social situation
Progress in economic reforms
1996 - 1999
Anti-reformist parliament
Economic stabilization in 1996 – 1997
Financial crises in 1998 – 1999
Attempts to reform a social policy
2000 - 2004
Pro-presidential parliament
Stabilization and improvement…
Implementation of a set of reforms
STRATEGY 2010:
CONTEXT
“Unlike all previous periods a fundamentally different
situation has been created in the country. It opens a window
of opportunity to resolve the main Russian problems. Today,
the political situation has stabilized, there is a revival of
economy…”
“Instead of the welfare state (paternalism) and the
privatization of social functions (radical liberalism)
subsidiary state is created. It provides social guarantees to
the extent to which a society cannot do this itself”
STRATEGY – 2010:
GOALS
1. provide effective protection of vulnerable households;
2. ensure universal access and socially acceptable quality
of basic social benefits, in particular – health care and
education;
3. create an economic environment that provides a higher
level of social consumption for working-age population at
their own expense and decent standard of living for older
people;
4. create social institutions that provide mobilization of
funds of population and private companies and, as a
result, ensure a high quality of social services.
POLITICS OF
REFORMS
Period
Characteristics
1991 - 1993
Anti-reformist parliament
Extremely poor economic and social situation
Gaidar’s economic reforms
1993 - 1995
Pro-presidential parliament
Extremely poor economic and social situation
Progress in economic reforms
1996 - 1999
Anti-reformist parliament
Economic stabilization in 1996 – 1997
Financial crises in 1998 – 1999
Attempts to reform a social policy
2000 - 2004
Pro-presidential parliament
Stabilization and improvement…
Implementation of a set of reforms
2005 - …
Pro-presidential parliament
Rejection of “liberal” social reforms
Populist policy