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Kremlin says Russians’ declining interest in elections may be part of European trend

A poll showed that the number of Russians, who wouldn’t vote in the elections to the State Duma if they were held next Sunday, has grown year-by-year
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov Mikhail Metzel/TASS
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov
© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

MOSCOW, August 14./TASS/. Data on Russians’ declining interest in elections and political parties may be explained by a similar trend throughout Europe, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Wednesday.

Peskov commented on a very recent poll by the Levada Center pollster suggesting that the number of Russians, who wouldn’t vote in the elections to the State Duma if they were held next Sunday, has grown year-by-year (24% against 22%). In addition, the number of people who are undecided over which party they would vote for (11% against 8% in August 2018) has increased as well.

The spokesman said it would be ill-timed to generalize based on such surveys, since it is also summer. "Of course, we pay attention [to these surveys], as well as to all other polls. However, the general European trend towards de-politicization in the overall leanings of Europeans, including Russians of course, has been well known for years," Peskov said, citing a low voter turnout during Europe’s elections.

"Yes, these trends do exist, they are well known, but nevertheless, I would stop short of drawing some far-reaching conclusions," the Kremlin spokesman cautioned.