MOSCOW, April 28 (RAPSI) – Russia’s citizens will have an opportunity to apprise the importance of adoption of “social” amendments to the Constitution because of the pandemic, according to a member of the Civic Chamber Commission on Culture and Preservation of Spiritual Heritage Pavel Pozhigailo.

Earlier, the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) conducted a poll demonstrating that among the proposed amendments to the Constitution those envisaging access to and quality of medical services; recognition of children as the top priority of Russia’s state policy; protection of nature; indexation of pensions; and setting of minimal wages and salaries at the subsistence level were ranked by the respondents at the top of the list.

Now, citizens have enough time to contemplate about the importance of these amendments, the expert notes, as those are to protect social guarantees, which may become necessary in case such an unfortunate situation develops again. The amendments not only safeguard social and labor rights, but may also serve as drivers for businesses and the economy at large, Pozhigailo states. He believes that the Constitutional changes and related new laws can form a special system, which is to ensure timely reaction to emergencies and therefore saving of small businesses.

The expert also believes in significant importance of an amendment seeking to prioritize Russia’s Constitution provisions over decisions of international bodies.