Most respondents describe their attitude to V. Putin as a positive-neutral. Two-thirds of respondents would like to re-elect the current head of state in 2024. Supporters of his re-election explain this by the fact that V.Putin “has the right policy,” “a good leader,” “for the people,” “there is no alternative to him.” Opponents of re-election say that he “has been in office for a long time,” “I don’t like his policies,” “changes are needed.” According to the respondents V. Putin expresses the interests of the “siloviki”, as well as “ordinary people”, “oligarchs” and the “middle class”
In relation to the president, as before, positive-neutral assessments prevail. About a quarter (23%) of respondents describe their attitude to V. Putin as “sympathy”, another 19% — as “admiration” – compared to last year, the share of such assessments has not changed much. Another 12% of respondents claim to have a “neutral, indifferent” attitude towards the president, about a third (31%) can’t say anything bad about him.
How would you describe your attitude to V. Putin? (table)
Nov.00 | Nov.02 | Nov.05 | Mar.08 | Oct.11 | Mar.13 | Mar.14 | Mar.15 | Jul.16 | Apr.17 | Oct.19 | Mar.20 | Aug.21 | May.22 | Jun.23 | |
Sympathy | 31 | 37 | 32 | 41 | 24 | 18 | 31 | 37 | 29 | 32 | 24 | 20 | 21 | 25 | 23 |
Adoration | 4 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 19 | 19 |
Neutral | 11 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 17 | 22 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 11 | 12 |
Concerned | 11 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 5 |
Disgust | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
Antipathy | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
Can’t say anything bad about the man | 36 | 37 | 36 | 34 | 33 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 27 | 30 | 27 | 27 | 31 | 31 |
Can’t say anything good about the man | 4 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 5 |
can’t say | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
As last year, the majority of respondents would like to see V. Putin as president of Russia and after 2024 – 68% of them (in May 2022 – 72%). A fifth of 20% (in May 2022 – 19%) would not like his re-election as head of state.
Would you like to see V.Putin as president after the current term/after 2024? (table)
Oct.12 | Oct.13 | Nov.14 | May.16 | Oct.16 | May.17 | Aug.17 | May.18 | Jul.19 | Mar.20 | Feb.21 | Sep.21 | May.22 | Jun.22 | |
Yes, I would | 34 | 33 | 58 | 60 | 63 | 66 | 67 | 51 | 54 | 46 | 48 | 47 | 72 | 68 |
No, I wouldn’t | 40 | 45 | 19 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 27 | 38 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 19 | 20 |
Can’t say | 26 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 19 | 14 | 16 | 22 | 8 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 12 |
Most often the desire to see V. Putin as president after the current term was expressed by respondents 55 years and older (74% for re-election, and 17% against it), those who trust TV as the main source of information (86% vs. 8%), the wealthiest Russians (72% vs. 17%) and respondents who believe that that things are going in the right direction in the country (85% vs. 7%). The desire for V. Putin to leave his post in 2024 was most often expressed by respondents aged 18-24 (60% in favor of staying, and 25% against it), readers of online publications (55% vs. 31%), those who barely have enough money to eat (66% vs. 22%), and respondents who believe that the country is moving on the wrong path (34% vs. 55%).
Of those who want to see V. Putin as president after 2024, 29% of respondents express such a desire because he “leads the right policy, strengthens the state”, 20% – because he is “a leader, a good president”, 17% – because he is “for the people, for stability” and “there is no one else, there is no alternative”.
Respondents who do not want the current head of state to be re-elected for the next term, cite the following reasons: “long in office, tired of him and his rule” (23%), “do not like his policy, destroys the country, the introduction of pension reform, violation of the constitution” (18%), “changes are needed, change of power” (18%).
39% of Russians believe that V. Putin expresses the interests of the “siloviki” — this indicator has practically not changed in two years. 29% of respondents believe that it expresses the interests of “ordinary people” – the highest figure for all the time of observations. Another quarter (in August 2021 – 40%) believe that the head of state expresses the interests of “oligarchs”. In addition, the proportion of respondents who believe that V. Putin protects the interests of the middle class rose from 16% in 2021 to 24% this year.
Which part of the society do you think V.Putin represents? (table)
Sep.00 | Sep.01 | Dec.03 | Dec.05 | Oct.10 | Oct.11 | Jul.13 | Aug.14 | Aug.16 | Oct.17 | Mar.20 | Aug.21 | Jun.23 | |
“Siloviki” | 39 | 39 | 33 | 41 | 34 | 38 | 41 | 39 | 35 | 41 | 37 | 40 | 39 |
Regular people | 18 | 17 | 23 | 18 | 20 | 17 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 29 |
“oligarchs” | 16 | 17 | 14 | 23 | 26 | 35 | 35 | 30 | 28 | 31 | 38 | 40 | 25 |
Middle class | 19 | 19 | 24 | 21 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 23 | 18 | 16 | 24 |
Public servants | 14 | 16 | 15 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 30 | 24 | 22 | 31 | 28 | 29 | 22 |
Top managers of big companies | 13 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 18 | 27 | 23 | 19 | 19 | 25 | 17 | 14 | 13 |
Culture and science elites | 6 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 15 | 8 | 10 | 10 |
“Intelligentsia” | 9 | 6 | 11 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 12 | 7 | 9 | 10 |
B.Yeltsin’s close circle | 19 | 18 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 9 |
Everyone without exception | 9 | 11 | 15 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 9 | 6 | 7 |
Lowlifes, thugs | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Can’t say | 16 | 18 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 11 |
METHODOLOGY
The survey by the Levada Center was conducted June 22 – 28 2023, among a representative sample of all Russian urban and rural residents. The sample consists of 1634 people aged 18 or older in 137 municipalities of 50 regions of the Russian Federation. The survey was conducted as a personal interview in respondents’ homes. The distribution of responses is given as a percentage of the total number of respondents.
The statistical error of these studies for a sample of 1600 people (with a probability of 0.95) does not exceed:
3.4% for indicators around 50%
2.9% for indicators around 25%/75%
2.0% for indicators around 10%/90%
1.5% for indicators around 5%/95%