More of a publicity stunt than anything else.

Crow Sister, the "Middle Class" is used loosely for those people who can afford (or aspire to) own a home or good apartment (flat), can send the kids to college, and are the great consumers that keep the engines of production going.
The "class" has been reduced in recent years as incomes have stagnated, employers have cut down on numbers of employees, and the growth bubble burst.