Interfax: Russians losing interest in political opposition, say it is still needed – poll

MOSCOW. June 17 (Interfax) – Over a half of Russians (57%) believes Russia needs political opposition, Levada Center told Interfax.

Yet their number has reduced significantly since 2012 (72%), the sociologists said.

Twenty-three percent of respondents say Russia does not need political opposition and 20% are undecided.

The need for opposition was mostly expressed by men (62% vs. 53% of women), Russians aged 25-40 (61%), people with higher education (60%), people with a high consumer status (77%) and residents of cities with a population of 100,000 to 500,000 (62%) in the poll of 1,600 respondents older than 18 held in late May in 130 populated localities in 45 regions. The opposite opinion was mostly expressed by women (23%), Russians older than 55 (30%), people with primary education (27%), people with a low consumer status (24%) and Muscovites (37%).

Fifty percent of the respondents gave an affirmative answer to the Levada Center question about the existence of political opposition in Russia (66% two years ago).

Most respondents claiming the existence of opposition were men (49%), Russians aged 25-40 and younger (52%), people with secondary vocational education (54%), well-to-do people (56%) and Muscovites (60%).

The share of Russians saying the country does not have opposition has grown from 24% in 2010 to 33% now. The percentage of undecided respondents has grown, as well, from 11% to 17%.