Vedomosti: "Putin’s Approval Rating Dips"
By Maxim Glikin
Vladimir Putin's rating hit its lowest point since he became Prime Minister. People see no improvements as a result of the Cabinet's anti-crisis measures.
Putin's rating dropped from 81% (it never rose higher than 57% for other premiers) to 77% in January, drawing almost level with President Medvedev's rating (75-76%). The Government's rating has dropped from 60% to 56%.
The poll, taken on January 17-18, asked the question "Do you approve or disapprove of the Government's performance as a whole?". The sample included 1,600 respondents in 46 regions (the statistical margin of error is up to 3.4%).
The disapproval rating has grown accordingly: from 22% to 25% for the Government, and from 9% to 12% for the Prime Minister.
Putin's approval rating (Russians were asked to name six politicians who they trust most) dropped from 63% to 59%, its lowest level since last summer. Medvedev is secure at 45%. The ratings of many other government institutions, such as the State Duma, the Federation Council, the Army, and the law enforcement agencies, also dropped in January.
It is not surprising that the ratings of Government agencies decline during crises, says Director-General of VTsIOM Valery Fyodorov, but a 4% drop does not yet indicate a trend; one should observe the situation over several weeks. Indeed, another poll has revealed that although 48% see no changes for the better as a result of the Government's anti-crisis measures, they hope improvements will come, and only 22% are pessimistic.
The Government is closely monitoring the results of the polls and taking them into account, says the Prime Minister's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov. As for interpretation, this is the business of sociologists.
Levada Centre has also recorded a gradual decline in the Government's approval rating since autumn (from 66% in September to 58% in January). In January only 26% of respondents were sure that the Government would be able to turn the situation around anytime soon, whereas in November of last year, that percentage was 31%, and 44% in July.
In the opinion of Alexei Grazhdankin, Deputy Director of Levada Centre, people never know exactly what the Government is doing, but last year they trusted it, whereas today people are worried and do not put much hope in the authorities. On the other hand, over the past five years the authorities have taken care to secure their grip on power, the expert notes. As in Soviet times, people do not believe that they can make any difference.
This is not the first time Putin's rating has plunged: it happened in 2005 during the cash-for-benefits campaign, political scientist Mikhail Vinogradov recalls. It took months for Putin's rating to recover. The new mood may be reflected in the regional elections in March, but, like in 2005, the KPRF's reaction has been rather timid. As for spontaneous protests, the Far East is the most worrisome area.
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State of the economy
The majority of Russian citizens still believe the Russian economy is in fairly good shape, a January poll conducted by the Public Opinion Fund has revealed. However, the share of optimists has dropped by a quarter since November, from 62% to 46%. The share of those who think the economy is in bad shape has grown from 27% in November to 37% today.
