President Vladimir Putin has urged government officials to work over the lengthy New Year's holidays, saying they "cannot afford" to take the time off amid the country's economic crisis.
Much of Russia comes to a standstill during the 10-day official holidays that run from New Year's Day until after Orthodox Christmas. With weekends factored in, most of the country's employees will be off until Jan. 11 this year — but not government officials, Putin told a Cabinet meeting Thursday.
"This is holiday season, which is a long period in our country, and people have the right to relax: the depressing autumn and winter period is quite long here and people could certainly use some extra holiday time," Putin said, according to a transcript published on the Kremlin's website.
"However, the government and its various structures cannot afford such extensive holidays, at least not this year," he said.
"We have to coordinate the work of all ministries and agencies, and coordinate them with the Presidential Executive Office, with the Central Bank, and keep everything under control," he said.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev seemed to agree with the president's assessment of the situation, saying that the "amount of problems in the economy is substantial, but not all of them are due to external pressure and the drop in oil price," in comments to Izvestia.
"There are [also] internal problems, which we are obliged to solve," he was quoted as saying.
Western sanctions against Moscow for its alleged meddling in Ukraine and low prices for oil – Russia's key export – have contributed to the Russian ruble's recent nosedive and a subsequent rise in inflation, prompting fears of a tough year ahead.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
