Interfax: Putin’s job approval rating exceeds 80% – poll

MOSCOW. Aug 26 (Interfax) – The job approval rating of Russian President Vladimir Putin stands at 83% in August, Levada Center sociologists told Interfax on Wednesday following this month’s survey.

Seventeen percent of respondents of the center’s latest poll were dissatisfied with Putin’s work as Russian president.

In June the approval rate was 89%, in April-May – 86% and in January – 85%.

“The approval of the president, which exceeded the 80% mark against the backdrop of the ‘Crimean campaign’, has stabilized and its fluctuations actually fit the limits of statistical errors of polls, which does not permit speaking of a drop in the rating at the present moment,” the Levada Center said.

The job approval rating of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev stands at 61%, while his work received negative assessments from 38% of those polled.

Fifty-four percent of respondents approved of the Russian government’s performance, while 44% of those polled disapproved of it.

The work of the State Duma received positive assessments from 47% of respondents and negative assessments from 51%.

Furthermore, 60% of those polled spoke positively of the work of governors of their territories, including the Moscow mayor, and 38% took the opposite view.

Respondents were also asked to name five or six Russian political figures whom they trust most.

President Putin was mentioned by 58% of those polled; Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu came second with 25%. Prime Minister Medvedev and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov shared third place with 19% each.

They were followed by Liberal Democratic Party leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky (11%), Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov (9%), head of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill (6%), Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin (5%), leader of A Just Russia party Sergei Mironov (4%) and Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko (3%).

Meanwhile, 12% of respondents said they do not trust any Russian political figures today, and 13% of those polled said that they are not interested in politics.

Additionally, 55%, the same as in January, believe that Russia is moving in the right direction, 29% of those polled expressed the opposite opinion, and 17% were undecided.

The survey was conducted in 134 communities in 46 Russian regions on August 21-24 and involved 1,600 people.