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2.8 ​Polls & Sociology
Ukraine’s Consumer Confidence Index has jumped 30 points since April, hitting 96 in August,​ near the record highs of the 2004-07 boom years. Dragon Capital writes: “The sharp improvement in consumer sentiment over the past several months was recorded across virtually all age and income groups and geographical regions...the surge in consumer confidence suggests that household spending will remain on the rise, supporting economic growth.”
A poll conducted in September finds that 71% of 2,500 respondents are satisfied with the work of President Zelenskiy​. The prisoner release took place near the start of the face to face interviews by the Rating Group. Of the respondents, 55% say Ukraine is heading in the right direction. Over 90% support moves to end MP mandates for absenteeism, to cut the number of MPs from 450 to 300, and to remove parliamentary immunity. Zelenskiy signed the law authorizing the constitutional change to end parliamentary immunity.
The mood amongst the public since Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy came to power has done an abrupt about face and deep pessimism has turned to growing optimism in the future of the country​. For most of the last five years circa 70% of people in Ukraine believed their country was going in the “wrong direction”, but that has collapsed to 18% in September and now the majority (56%) believe the country is going in the “right direction”, according to the latest poll from the Sociological Group Rating. A quarter (26%) remain undecided. Optimism is highest in the west and south of the country while young people and those that voted for Zelenskiy and his party are amongst the most optimistic. Older voters and those that backed former president Petro Poroshenko are amongst the more pessimistic. Zelenskiy is currently enjoying record high approval ratings, according to the poll: 71% of respondents are satisfied with the activities of Zelenskiy, while 11% are not and the remaining 18% have not decided. The president's popularity is still increasing and is already up one and a half times on its level compared to the same period a year earlier.
The government started work in September its new head Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk currently has a 29% approval rating​. Two-thirds of the respondents remain undecided about Honcharuk. Separately 39% of the respondents are satisfied with the activities of the newly elected Verkhovna Rada, 16% are dissatisfied with it and 45% were unable to answer. The vast majority of the respondents (over 90%) support the initiatives for early termination of MPs' authority for absenteeism, reduction of the number of MPs from 450 to 300, and the removal of parliamentary immunity. More than 70% support the proposal to give Ukrainian citizens the right to propose legislation, expanding the authorities of the president to appoint the heads of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP), as well as increasing the number of human rights ombudsmen. About two-thirds are in favour of enshrining in the Constitution such provisions as a proportional election system and the abolition of legal monopolies.
16​ UKRAINE Country Report​ October 2019 ​ ​www.intellinews.com