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incomes expanded by 3% in September – the first strong rise in years – so this too could impacting the confidence survey result.
2.15 Putin & government’s popularity
Vladimir Putin's "trust rating" has fallen again, down to 39% in September from 40% in June , after a summer of violent protests over the Moscow City council election that saw unprecedented police brutality, the independent pollster the Levada Center reported on October 16.
Trust in the president has been sliding in the last few years as Russia is in its sixth year of falling real incomes despite the ongoing economic recovery and improving profitability of both the leading corporates and banks.
Trust in Putin was at a peak of 59% in November 2017, however, despite the fall Putin remains, by far, the most trusted political figure in Russia. The next most popular politicians are foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, both with 14%.
And Putin’s trust rating may get a bump in the next survey as Rosstat just reported that real incomes were up 3% in the third quarter, the first positive
27 RUSSIA Country Report November 2019 www.intellinews.o
