Russian-style censorship: MPs banned from commenting on the budget

MPs lost the right to comment on the budget

New rules have been introduced in Russia, according to which even State Duma members cannot publicly comment on the draft state budget. This was reported by the Russian media.

Now, only authorised representatives of the government and the Ministry of Finance are allowed to give any official explanations or assessments.

Control over information

Analysts believe that such restrictions are evidence of increased censorship and the authorities' attempts to conceal the real state of the economy. Similar rules have previously been introduced in the military sector.

Putin announces «excellent state of the economy»

Against this backdrop, Putin has publicly stated that the Russian economy is in «excellent condition». He assured that Western sanctions had not critically affected the country's financial system.

However, independent experts point out that the costs of the war with Ukraine have reached record levels, and social budget items are being cut.

Conclusion.

The ban on MPs commenting on the budget and Putin's parallel statements about «successes» demonstrate the increasingly closed nature of Russia's economic system and the authorities' attempts to hide real problems from society.