(08/11/10) -

Russians Still Smitten with Putin, Medvedev

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin remain highly popular in Russia, according to a poll by the Yury Levada Analytical Center. 72 per cent of respondents approve of Medvedev’s performance, and 77 per cent endorse Putin’s.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin remain highly popular in Russia, according to a poll by the Yury Levada Analytical Center. 72 per cent of respondents approve of Medvedev’s performance, and 77 per cent endorse Putin’s.

Support for Medvedev is down two points since June; Putin’s popularity is down one point.

Russian voters renewed the State Duma in December 2007. United Russia (YR)—whose candidate list was headed by then president Putin—secured 64.1 per cent of the vote and 315 of the legislature’s 450 seats. On that same month, Putin endorsed Medvedev as a presidential candidate, and Medvedev said it would be of the "utmost importance" to have Putin as prime minister.

In March 2008, Medvedev easily won Russia’s presidential election with 70.28 per cent of the vote. In May, Medvedev was sworn in as president. His nomination of Putin as prime minister was confirmed by the State Duma in a 392-56 vote.

The next presidential election is scheduled for March 2012. Both Putin and Medvedev are eligible to run as candidates.

On Jul. 29, Medvedev was reported as saying that he was "bored to death" by ministers in his cabinet who fill performance reports with positive news, leaving the bad news hidden or unmentioned.

Polling Data

Do you approve or disapprove of Russian president Dmitry Medvedev’s performance?

Do you approve or disapprove of Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin’s performance?