Interfax: Poll shows 65% of Russians approve Putin’s performance – poll

File Photo of Vladimir Putin Sitting at Desk

MOSCOW. Jan 30 (Interfax) – As many as 65% of Russians praised Vladimir Putin’s performance as president in January, which is as many as was in December 2013, the Levada Center sociological service told Interfax on Thursday in summing up outcomes of a nationwide poll of 1,603 Russians it conducted in 130 communities in 45 regions of Russia on January 24-27.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev’s approval rating slightly declined in January to 48% from 51% in December 2013.

The poll showed that 34% of the respondents (36% in December) trust Putin and 13% (14%) Medvedev.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu is currently trusted by 19% of the respondents, Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov by 9%, Liberal-Democratic Party leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky by 8%, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov by 6%, Civil Platform party leader Mikhail Prokhorov by 5%, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia by 5%, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin by 3%, A Just Russia party leader Sergei Mironov by 2%, and Federation Council speaker Valentina Matviyenko by 2%.

Another 19% of the respondents do not trust any Russian politicians.

Asked about their confidence in the government as a whole, 43% of Russians said they trust it and 56% they do not (the figures remained the same as in December). The approval rating of the State Duma deputies has slightly gone down to 36% from 39% in December.

As many as 43% of those polled believe the things in the country are going in the right direction as a whole, while 41% disagree with this.

Over half of those polled – 54% – said also that they are basically content with performances of their governors, or the mayor in the case of Moscow, while 44% disapprove of it.

The poll’s margin of error is within 3.4%.

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