MOSCOW, December 24. /TASS/. The approval of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions remained at about 61%-65% throughout the year, says Valery Fyodorov, head of the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM).
"If we talk integral estimations, then, throughout this year, the approval rating of the president varied in a narrow range between 61% and 65%. In November, it was 62%, of almost exactly in the middle of this range," Fyodorov said.
He pointed out that the approval level is currently higher it was in the spring of 2018, when the rating plunged due to the increase of the retirement age.
"It was then that the rating plunged from 77% to 80% to about 65% to 64%. So we can say that the shocks of this year bounced back and did not affect the integral approval of the president," Fyodorov said.
The negative assessments stayed within the 28% to 29% range, the expert said.
According to Fyodorov, the approval of the president’s foreign policy remains the most important aspect of the president’s support.
"[November’s] 71% is lower than 75% to 76% one year ago, but it is still between 2/3 and ѕ. We do not register any fall, although there is some negativity. For the last four months, it stayed at about 20%," Fyodorov noted.
"The approval of the internal policy is significantly lower, but there is no surprise here. Some 50% to 52% approve it, while 37% to 38% - and 39% in November - do not. Overall, the situation is even somewhat better than one year ago, when we had neither the economic crisis nor the pandemic," the expert concluded.