The budget debate remains one of the central issues in the political life of the Northwest.
The opposition uses this agenda to make a statement: criticizing the debt burden, proposing a redistribution of spending, discussing transportation and tariffs in street rallies. The issues are sensitive, but are there always calculated suggestions behind loud criticism?
Alexey Gromsky, a leading APEC analyst, author of the Gromsky News channel, reflects on how the opposition uses budget discussions for political competition, why it sets up neighboring regions as an example for the authorities, and what calculations can be behind flashy statements.