Page 35 - RusRPTJan21

2.13 ​Putin & government’s popularity
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s approval rating dropped 3pp in November to 65% from 68% in October, while his disapproval rating rose from 31% to 34% over the same month. 1% remain undecided in both months.
Despite the small fall Putin’s approval ratings have more or less recovered to its previous highs of over 65% where it has been for years. His approval rating dropped to a recent low of 53% in April in the worst of the oil price and coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic scare but had bounced back into the 60s by June and was back at 66% by August after the lockdowns started to be removed.
The government has seen the opposite trend with its approval rating actually rising in the summer as it responded to the crises to top 51% in September, and 47% disapproving, from the 44% approval rating it started the year with. In November the majority (50%) once again disapproved of the government with 48% approving, but even 48% is a better rating than the government has enjoyed for years where it usually polls in the high 30s or low 40s. All said and done the government’s forceful reaction to the crises under the new Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has had a positive effect on its image, even if the population remains largely distrustful of it.
Russia’s regional governors remain amongst the most popular politicians in the establishment but saw their approval rating slips somewhat to 60% in November from 62% in October and down from their recent high of 67% at the start of 2020 when the governors briefly overtook Putin in terms of popularity.
As the regions continue to develop and governors increasingly find themselves in competition with their neighbours – not only for investment but also in the effort to attract qualified and experienced workers – the regional governors have started to invest more into making their regions attractive which has upped their standing with the local residents. This trend has been bolstered by the Kremlin’s ongoing efforts at regional development that was kicked off with the billions poured into Sochi ahead of the winter Olympics there and followed up in another 11 regions during the World Cup in Russia. Going forward this trend will continue to enjoy a tailwind from the RUB27 trillion of
35 ​RUSSIA Country Report​ January 2021 ​ ​www.intellinews.com