For 17 years, this person has sat there in the State Duma and the Federation Council on a huge state-funded salary with generous perks. Apartments are provided for free, business-class tickets are free, and meals are almost free.
Has been living at our expense since 1999.
But the craving for freebies is impossible to stamp out. No matter how much free stuff you give a United Russia party member, they still want more:
They stayed in the presidential suite for 21 days and then “left the question of payment unresolved.” Lovely.
You’re on an enormous salary—pay for the room. There’ll be a court case, a scandal, newspaper articles. But no, they’ll defend their right to freebies at the taxpayer’s expense to the bitter end. It is more sacred to them than any Korsun (the historical name for Chersonesus, often invoked in Russian nationalist rhetoric). There is nowhere to retreat—otherwise, what’s the point of being an official?
Places