Yevgeny Goryunov, Head of the Gaidar Institute's Monetary Policy Department, commented for Nezavisimaya Gazeta on new sociological surveys’ data indicating a deterioration in the financial situation of the Russians in recent months.
The expert called these trends logical and predictable. Yevgeny Goryunov placed particular emphasis on the increasing share of the Russians expecting a deterioration in their standard of living over the coming year.
"As the economy has entered a slowdown phase, we can expect the share of 'pessimists' to grow in the foreseeable future, as people's sentiments about the future often reflect not their expectations for the future, but their assessment of the present. If the present gets worse, people’s expectations will become more pessimistic," Evgeny Goryunov says.
At the same time, the expert notes that positive macroeconomic factors still prevail. According to Evgeny Goryunov, "as long as real incomes continue to grow and unemployment remains at a low level, the 'optimists' will lead."