Polls show a sustained decline in the president’s public standing. Experts warn the trend could reshape Russia’s domestic political balance.
The independent, state-run Russian sociological service VCIOM reports for the sixth week in a row a decline in the rating of Russian President Vladimir Putin according to survey results. The new data cover the period from April 6 to 12 and were released on April 17.
According to VCIOM, the approval rating of Putin’s activities stood at 66.7%, 1.1 percentage points lower than the previous week. The trust rating in him fell to 72%.
Experts note that these are the lowest figures since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Lower values were recorded only before the war – about 64.3% support.
Context and implications for the political landscape
Putin’s falling rating is also reflected in support for the ruling party United Russia, while trust in it wanes, whereas other parties represented in the State Duma are demonstrating growing popularity among the population.
Another Russian sociological center – the Public Opinion Foundation – also recorded a decrease in Putin’s rating, but according to its surveys the trend later recovered.
Sociological services do not provide unambiguous explanations for the reasons of the decline. In the same wave there is growing discontent among some pro-war circles, who link it to the blocking of the Internet. A notable backlash was sparked by a video address from blogger Victoria Boni to Putin.
“a huge wall between” the people and Putin and that everyone is afraid of him, even “governors”.
– Victoria Boni
Analysts believe that the current dynamics of ratings will depend on internal events and external factors, as well as the development of the information environment in Russia. Forecasts indicate that the downward trend may continue if the situation inside the country remains unstable or is driven by external challenges.