Interfax: Almost 80% of Russians say their country has enemies – poll

World Map Showing Continents, Greens, Browns, Ice

MOSCOW. Nov 26 (Interfax) – Some 78% of Russians believe their country has enemies.

The number grew 15%, from 63% last year, Levada Center said presenting a poll held in 130 towns and cities in 45 regions.

Only 13% claimed that Russia had no enemies and 9% could not answer the question.

Not everyone is pleased with Russia’s policies, the sociologists said. In fact, 50% of the respondents expressed their discontent and 41% were supportive.

The percentage of the respondents displeased with the economic course of the country is even higher, 66% vs. 29% of content respondents.

Meanwhile, the polls conducted by Levada Center in November showed that 52% of the respondents generally approved of the activities of President Vladimir Putin and 61% supported his leadership. Fifty-five percent said that Putin had a strong influence on national events.

The sociologists asked whether Russia needed the State Duma or “national life could just as well be organized with presidential decrees.”

Some 43% respondents that the president could substitute the parliament and 39% argued that the country could not do without parliamentary deputies.

Three percent of the respondents were well aware of the work, political goals and preferences of State Duma deputies; 45% had a general idea and 49% knew nothing about that.

Fifty-one percent said they had a rather vague idea about what the State Duma had been doing for in the past two years.

Comment