Russian welfare reform and social NGOs: strategies for claim-making and service provision in the case of Saint Petersburg

Abstract

This paper examines how civic organisations dealing with social rights have responded to Russian welfare reforms. As beneficiaries of the Soviet paternalistic system of social provision, their interest has been to resist neoliberal policy shifts. However, the crackdown on non-governmental organisations (NGOs) under President Putin de-incentivises making challenging political claims. By distinguishing between ‘rent-seeking’ and ‘profit-seeking’ activities of NGOs (resulting in either the redistribution or production of public wealth), this paper enhances understanding of state–society relations in Russia. It highlights contradictory practices that allow the state to reduce overt, politicised protest by providing channels for certain privileged social groups and organisations.

Keywords:

• civil society
• welfare reform
• Russia
• interest groups

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Anna Tarasenko, Ph.D. in Political Science (2010), Assistant Professor at the Department of Applied Political Science, National Research University “Higher School of Economics”, St. Petersburg, Russia. Her research interests are the role of NGOs in service provision, factors of non-profit sector development, welfare transformation and social policy models. Her recent publications include “Analiz praktik vzaimodeistvia SO NKO SPb po dannym reestra poluchatelei gosudarstevooi podderzhki,” in Negosudarstvennye nekommercheskie organiztsii v Sankt Peterburge (2013) and Kontsepty tretiego sektora I grazhdanskogo obshestva v kontekste teorii demokratii, upravlenia i economicheskogo razvitia (2014, Saint Petersburg: SPb, Izdatel'stvo Evropeiskogo Universiteta. Retrieved from http://eu.spb.ru/images/centres/M-center/M_36_14.pdf).

Notes

1. The empirical data used in the analysis are partly gathered within the joint project in cooperation with Dr Meri Kulmala, postdoctoral researcher at the Aleksanteri Institute (Finnish Centre for Russian and Eastern European Studies, Helsinki University).

2. The official website of the Russian administrative reform: http://www.economy.gov.ru/wps/wcm/connect/economylib4/mer/activity/sections/admReform/publicsociety/.

3. The regulation is available online at http://www.rg.ru/2013/03/20/programma-dok.html.

4. Federal law # 40-FZ (5 April 2010).

5. The official website of the Strategy of social and economic development to 2020: http://economy.gov.ru/minec/activity/sections/strategicplanning/concept/doc20081117_01.

6. The source of these data is the material on the website of the Foundation of Civil Society Development: http://civilfund.ru/povestka/15.

7. The official website of the Ministry of Economic Development: http://www.economy.gov.ru/minec/activity/sections/socorientnoncomorg/.

8. The official website of the federal Ministry of Economic Development: http://economy.gov.ru/minec/activity/sections/socorientnoncomorg/201409262.

9. The official website of Saint Petersburg Association of Societies of Parents of Disabled Children (in Russian, GAOORDI – Sankt Petersburgskaia Assotsiatsia obschestvennyh objedinenii roditelei detei invalidov): http://gaoordi.ru/.

10. Personal interview: 11 May 2012, Saint Petersburg.

11. This database is available on the website of the Committee on Social Policy of St. Petersburg Government (http://gov.spb.ru/gov/otrasl/trud/organizacii-tretego-sektora/).

12. The official website of the programme: http://babushka-on-line.ru/.

13. Personal interview: 5 November 2013, Saint Petersburg.

14. Personal interview: 14 May 2014, Saint Petersburg.

15. Personal interview: 5 November 2013, Saint Petersburg.

16. Personal interview: 24 October 2013, Saint Petersburg.

17. Personal interview: 14 May 2014, Saint Petersburg.

18. Personal interview: 24 October 2013, Saint Petersburg.

19. Personal interview: 24 October 2013, Saint Petersburg.

20. The official webpage of the Commission on Veteran's Issues at the Saint Petersburg Parliament: http://www.assembly.spb.ru/authors/view/635500475.

21. The official website of the Commission on Veterans’ Issues in Saint Petersburg Parliament: http://www.assembly.spb.ru/authors/view/635500475/3?action=1&time_start=2014-01-01&time_end=2014-12-31 (19 November 2014).

22. Personal interview: 13 May 2014, Saint Petersburg.

23. The information gathered during person interview: 13 May 2014, Saint Petersburg. The information on legislative initiatives of the Parliamentary Commission on Veteran's Issues is available on the official website: http://www.assembly.spb.ru/authors/view/635500475/3?action=1&time_start=2014-01-01&time_end=2014-12-31.

24. Personal interview: 24 October 2013, Saint Petersburg.

25. The governmental website provides information on a set of social benefits available for veterans: http://old.gov.spb.ru/gov/admin/otrasl/trud/czn/afgan (19 November 2014).

26. Laws on Saint Petersburg budget are available on official website of Saint Petersburg Parliament: http://www.assembly.spb.ru/welcome/showall/633200142.