Vladimir Putin’s Approval Rating Shifts Before Russia’s Duma Election
Summary
Russia will hold parliamentary elections to choose 450 members of the State Duma, the lower house of its parliament. Recent polls show that President Vladimir Putin’s approval rating has dropped compared to last year, amid economic problems and the effects of the ongoing war in Ukraine on everyday life.Key Facts
- The State Duma election will take place over three days, including in Russian-occupied Crimea.
- Half of the Duma seats are chosen by party lists nationwide, and the other half by local district votes.
- The ruling United Russia party is expected to keep its majority, needing at least 300 of 450 seats.
- Putin’s approval rating was 76% in August 2023, down 13 points from the previous year, according to an independent poll by the Levada Center.
- State-controlled polls show Putin’s approval fluctuating around 66-67%, the lowest since the start of the war.
- The anti-war Yabloko party was banned from running in the party-list vote and faces strong restrictions.
- Russian cities are now affected by the war, with Ukrainian drone strikes hitting military sites and businesses.
- There are signs of some disagreement within Russia’s elite about continuing the war, but dissent is tightly controlled.
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