Page 26 - RusRPTFeb21

2.10 ​Putin & government’s popularity
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s popularity slumped to 53%, according to the state-owned pollster, the Russian Public Opinion Research Centre (VTsIOM), in the wake of a brutal crackdown by police on weekend demonstrations called by jailed anti-corruption activist and opposition politician Alexei Navalny.
As ​bne IntelliNews​ has reported, Putin’s approval rating dropped to two-decade low of 53% in April 20202 during the worst of the coronacrisis last year, but has since recovered to end last year at 65%, according to independent pollster the Levada Center – a level it has been at for all of his first term in office.
In the trust poll he fared less well, with the level of trust falling from 59% in 2017 to 25% in May 2020, the latest data available, but he remains by far the most trusted politician in Russia.
However, six years of real income stagnation and now graphic images of police bludgeoning peaceful protesters from the last two weeks of demonstrations are hitting home, according to the pollster. Levada and VTsIOM have roughly equivalent results.
“He thought that the Russia population could live with stagnation, playing the long game with the West. It turns out the Russian population today is not like
26 ​RUSSIA Country Report​ February 2021 ​ ​www.intellinews.com