Less than half of Russians would vote for President Vladimir Putin in a new presidential election, according to a closed state-run survey obtained by the RBC news website.
Putin won reelection with nearly 77 percent of the vote in March 2018, extending his presidency for another six-year term.
If the elections were held this Sunday, only 48 percent of Russians said they would vote for Putin, according to the state-run FOM polling agency’s survey cited by RBC on Wednesday.
Putin’s electoral rating averaged 47 percent over the past year, public data on FOM’s website said.
FOM conducted the closed survey between mid-March and early April at the request of the Kremlin, RBC reported.
Another state-funded polling agency said last week that trust in Putin has dropped to 13-year lows.
Russians “don’t believe that life tomorrow will be better than today,” Valery Fyodorov, the head of the state-funded VTsIOM pollster that published last week’s poll, told Dozhd TV regarding the president’s low trust levels.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
