The Levada Center saw a sharp increase in the rating of “United Russia”
The number of people wishing to vote in the elections for the “United Russia” increased from 55 to 63%, according to the Levada Center. The ratings of all other parties has decreased. Experts explained this by the political stalemate after the parliamentary election campaign.
A high rating
The number of Russians ready to vote for United Russia rose by 8% compared to July 2016. It is the sociologists of the Levada Center, which conducted a survey to determine the popularity of political parties. The survey was conducted among the already determined with the choice of the party respondents.
The survey was conducted 23 — 26 June among 1,600 Russians in 48 regions. Respondents were asked to answer, would not have gone they on the election of deputies if they were held next Sunday. Of the respondents, who said that would come, asked for representatives which party they would cast their votes. According to the survey results, United Russia would vote 63% of respondents from among those who are undecided (last year their number amounted to 55%).
Ratings of other parties listed in the survey — the Communist party, LDPR, “Fair Russia”, “Civic platform”, “party of pensioners for justice”, Yabloko, PARNAS, the “homeland” and “Party of growth” is decreased or remained unchanged.
The rating of “United Russia” since the end of last June rose slightly and according to VTSIOM (from 45.1 to 47.4%). A small increase in the popularity of the party during the same period, captures and FOM (from 46 to 49% at the end of June this year).
Other parties
The popularity of the Communist party from last year, according to the Levada Center, has decreased from 18 to 13%, LDPR — with 14 to 13%, “Fair Russia” — from 5 to 3%. Ratings of other parties remained unchanged or declined by less than one percent. Relatively only increased the popularity of the “Patriots of Russia”, but no more than one percent, according to a survey.
Increasing the rating of “United Russia” is associated with a gradual exit from the economic crisis, consumer and social optimism and seasonal factors (summer, no high-profile election campaign), explained to RBC a sociologist at the Levada Center Denis Volkov.
According to the Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist party Sergei Obukhov, the growing popularity of the party in power is associated primarily with the “Straight line” of the President, which was held on June 15. The June 2016 election was a month before the elections to the state Duma, reminded Obukhov, a parliamentary party was actively working, therefore, their ratings were higher than they are now. “All parties were then laid. Now there was a lull because of the presidential elections, media activity of parties has also declined,” said Obukhov.
It does not agree with the Deputy from LDPR Yaroslav Nilov: in his opinion, the rating downgrade of all parties except the “United Russia”, could only be explained by the error in the calculation of results. The growing popularity of “United Russia” is also relative, sure Nilov: it depends on the order in which regions in which respondents were conducted the measurements, said RBC Nilov. “I know that we are the second party and the rating we have at least 20%”, — he said.
“United Russia” is becoming more popular due to the fact that it works successfully on its way to the media, said the Deputy from “Fair Russia” Oleg Nilov. “Not talking about what they have flaws, and what their success”, — he said RBC.
Hibernation party system
The decline in the popularity of all political parties except the “United Russia”, due to the fact that after last year’s Russian Duma elections, the party system went into suspended animation, said political analyst Alexander Kynev. After the elections to the state Duma of the party was exhausted, without resources and with “psychological traumas after the results that were obtained”. They almost turned the party activities, so the massive voter and knows most of the party’s shareholders, he said, and in the coming years this situation can be corrected only “artificially”.
Survey participants typically remember only those present in the media, said a political strategist Vyacheslav Smirnov. “And after the election in the media is the leadership of the state Duma, Vice-speakers and those few MPs who are trying to create news hooks — such as the Council of the bloggers, — said the expert. — A “United Russia” in the face of the [chair of the state Duma Vyacheslav] Volodin, [his Deputy Peter] thick and rare, the deputies from the liberal democratic party”. And although in recent years the attitude to the Duma, the Russians have become much more tolerant, the majority of Russians are not interested in its activities, said Smirnov.