"Good leader" and "right policy": majority of Russians will support Putin in elections – sociology poll

Sunday, 9 July 2023, 09:36

An opinion poll has indicated that around 70% of Russians will support dictator Vladimir Putin in the next election.

Source: Levada Center, a Russian nongovernmental polling and sociological research organisation

Details: Most respondents describe their attitude to Putin as "positive-neutral". Two-thirds of respondents would like to see him re-elected in 2024.

Supporters of his re-election explain this by saying that Putin is "pursuing the right policy", "a good leader", "acting in the interests of the people", and that "there is no alternative to him".

The respondents believe that Putin expresses the interests of the "security forces" as well as "ordinary people", "oligarchs", and the "middle class".

Positive and neutral assessments of the dictator continue to prevail. About a quarter (23%) of respondents describe their attitude towards Putin as "sympathetic", while another 19% say they "admire" him, and the share of such opinions has not changed since last year. Another 12% of respondents say they have a "neutral, indifferent" attitude, and about a third (31%) cannot say "anything bad" about him.

Putin's re-election is expected by 68% of Russians, a record number since 2012, except for May 2022 (when it was 72%).

The poll by Levada Centre, adapted by Ukrainska Pravda

Respondents aged 55 and older, those who trust TV as their primary source of information, and the most affluent Russians most often expressed a desire to see Putin as president of the Russian Federation after the end of his current term.

Twenty per cent of Russians are against his re-election. One in 12 of those dissatisfied mentioned that the dictator had started a war against Ukraine, "killing people and exterminating the nation" (though they did not specify which nation).

For reference: Russia will hold presidential elections in March 2024.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!