Putin’s Domestic Support Growing – Poll

File Photo of Vladimir Putin at Desk

MOSCOW. Oct 24 (Interfax) – President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Russia’s Cabinet are becoming more popular among Russians, an opinion poll suggests.

The Levada Center, a Moscow-based opinion research group, told Interfax on Wednesday that 67% of respondents in a poll this month – compared with 63% in a survey in August – said they approved of Putin’s policies.

Medvedev’s activities had the support of 61% of those questioned compared with 57% in August.

About 50% of respondents in the October poll approved of what the government has been doing – a proportion 3 percentage points greater than that in the August survey.

The view that Russia is moving in the right direction was shared by 43% of respondents in October’s survey compared with 41% in the August poll. The proportions of those taking the opposite view were 39% and 41% respectively.

At the same time, only 22% of respondents in the October poll expected early improvements in the situation in Russia while 39% doubted the government’s ability to improve the state of affairs. Additionally, 57% were dissatisfied with the current State Duma whereas only 41% were pleased.

Asked to pick the politician or public figure they trusted most from a list shown by pollsters in October’s survey, 39% chose Putin, 24% Medvedev, and 11% Moscow region governor Sergei Shoigu. Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov and Liberal Democratic leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky each had a 9% preference.

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov and Federation Council speaker Valentina Matviyenko were chosen by 5% each, while 4% went for Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and as many did for A Just Russia party leader Sergei Mironov.

Twenty-two percent said they had no confidence in any Russian politician.

Pollsters in the survey of October 19-22 worked in 45 of the 83 federal constituent territories.

Comment