October poll puts Putin’s approval rating at 62%

(Interfax – MOSCOW, October 18, 2013) The approval rating of Russian President Vladimir Putin stands at 62% in October, sociologists of the All Russian Center for Public Opinion Studies (VTsIOM) told Interfax on Friday.

Forty-seven percent of respondents to VTsIOM’s October survey said that Putin’s vast political experience appeals to them (38% in 2011). Thirty-three percent of those polled described the Russian president as an energetic and resolute person.

Twenty-two percent of respondents praised Putin’s forward-looking approach and his ability to keep the country stable. Apart from that, 18% of those polled described Putin as a true leader, and 17% spoke of him as a person able to bring order to the country.

Putin as a political figure enjoys the respect of 36% of respondents, and 26% said that the president inspires hope in them. Nineteen percent of those polled said they trust Putin, and 15% said they like him.

However, 13% of respondents claim that they have grown disappointed with Putin, and 12% said they do not trust him.

When describing Putin’s qualities, 21% of those polled mentioned his fairness, 20% his authority, 19% his governing experience, 18% the president’s honesty and organizational skills, 17% his stability, 16% his energy, and 15% his readiness to accept changes.

Seventy-eight percent of respondents admitted that the president was working to deliver on the promises he gave during his election campaign, but 46% of respondents believe that some of these promises have not yet been met.

The number of citizens who agree that the president has been fulfilling his pre-election promises grew to 32% in October from 16% in January. The number of respondents who support the opposite view currently stands at 17%.

The VTsIOM poll was conducted in 42 Russian regions and involved 1,600 people. The margin of error was 3.4%.