Russian support for democratic elections has fallen to its lowest point in eight years, according to new polling data.
A survey of 1,600 people, published Thursday by the Levada Center, a research group, showed that 45 percent — down from 60 percent in May 2007 — favor elections to transfer power between leaders. Twenty-two percent prefer a system in which a leader appoints a successor and hands over power, an increase from 15 percent eight years ago.
In another Levada poll, Putin scored an 85 percent approval rating, the same as last year, and 24 points higher than in 2013.
The bombing of a Russian passenger plane over Egypt was foremost on the minds of those polled across the country in November, followed by the influx of Syrian refugees into Europe, Russian bombing in Syria, and the Paris terror attacks.
Sixty-five percent viewed Russia as a superpower, up from 53 percent in April 2000, the month after Putin became president for the first time. He told the BBC in March 2000, “our country should be a strong, powerful state, a capable state, effective, in which both its citizens of the Russian Federation and all those who want to co-operate with Russia could feel comfortable.”
Despite the current economic recession, 57 percent of people wanted Putin to remain president after the 2018 elections, and 11 percent wanted someone who would continue Putin’s policies to take over.
Less than 20 percent favored a new president with different policies, while 48 percent said no one else in the country at present can replace Putin.