Page 34 - RusRPTAug22

war, and their view of the president in the light of the war and sanctions is steadily becoming less positive. A clear split between the generations has emerged on all key policy questions of recent years, Yudin adds. “Putin’s core support comes from the older generation, who have lived through various crises in their middle age.” Independent sociologist Alexander Prokopenko sees this generational split as an important factor: the stability and sustainability of autocratic regimes largely depends on the younger part of the population.
Why the world should care: It’s hard to evaluate specific figures from the VTsIOM poll and during war or large-scale crises, sociology tends to change rapidly. However, it is possible to draw some unequivocal conclusions from the survey – support for Vladimir Putin and his actions is relatively low among young people, and it is falling fast.
This article first appeared in The Bell
2.12 Russian business and consumer confidence
Consumer Confidence in Russia decreased to -31 points in the second quarter of 2022 from -21 points in the first quarter of 2022. It is the lowest reading since the second quarter of 2009.
Russian private sector firms registered subdued expectations regarding the outlook for output over the coming 12 months in June, according to the latest S&P Global Russia Business Outlook survey.
The net balance of firms anticipating greater activity over the next year fell notably from +34% in February to just +5% in June. Forecasts were at their weakest in the series history, which stretches back to October 2009. The net balance of Russian companies expecting higher output was also much more downcast than the global average (net balance of +22%), with Russian firms the least upbeat of the 12 economies for which comparable data is available.
Where threats to growth were identified, these largely stemmed from higher raw material prices, the impact of sanctions on international demand, and a marked drop in purchasing power among domestic customers. Some companies also stated that, due to geopolitical tensions, sourcing inputs and raw materials had become more difficult with many European supplier contracts in particular terminated.
Nonetheless, opportunities for growth remained. Russian firms suggested that the exit of foreign- owned companies from the country had spurred import substitution opportunities and the prospect of
34 RUSSIA Country Report October 2020 www.intellinews.com