Press releases and publications

Reduction of budget funding for treatment of cancer patients means genocide!

Statement by the Social Democratic Faction of the Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO, December 12, 2012.

We are outraged by the statement made by Maxim Mishchenko, leader of the [pro-Kremlin] Young Russia movement, on the need to reduce budget expenditure on treatment of cancer patients. The former MP from the United Russia faction intends to introduce his criminal initiative at the hearings of the Public Chamber devoted to paid medical services, after which he intends to send the draft to the Ministry of Healthcare.

We regard the initiative proposed by the leader of United Russia's youth organisation as an open manifestation of fascism and violation of the Constitution of the Russian Federation guaranteeing all citizens the right to life and free health care.

We demand that the ruling party stop its mockery of Russia’s people and the attack on the right of citizens to high-quality free education and free health care, as well as curbing of the social responsibilities of the state taking place against the background of an unprecedented in Russia's history growth of oil and gas revenues...

Grigory Yavlinsky: federal budget priorities should be changed

Press Release, September 21, 2011

According to YABLOKO, draft federal budgets for 2012 and 2013-2014 published by the Russian Finance Ministry require principled changes. The draft budgets will be submitted to the parliament after they are examined by the Russian Government.

“It is obvious that it is an electoral budget aiming at maintaining high level of expenditures on the items most significant for 2012 so that to ensure a certain electoral result,” said Grigory Yavlinsky, member of YABLOKO’s Political Committee. After 2012 it is planned to abruptly and absolutely unreasonably change the federal budget priorities.

Thus, expenditure on education will be maintained at 4.6 per cent for 2012, but it will be reduced to 3.9 per cent in 2013 and 3.3 per cent in 2014. The same dynamics of federal budget expenditure is envisaged for healthcare: 4.2 per cent for 2012, 3.5 per cent for 2013 and 3.0 per cent for 2014.

The YABLOKO party considers such abrupt cuts on education and healthcare inadmissible...