Updated March 31, 2008

   The majority of Russians still appreciates highly Vladimir Putin and is fully content with his Prime Minister post. But the majority would not like to change the presidential form of government to the parliamentary one in Russia. Such is the result of the last public opinion polls conducted by the analytic Levada Center.

   Only 10% of the Russians admits the state government by the Prime Minister, in case Vladimir Putin holds the post. Two thirds of Russians (67%) "prefer the current system of state government providing strong presidential power". And it is explained not by "the traditional people’s love to tsar", but by the distrust of the parliamentary system. In fact, now the Russians choose the state head directly, and after passing to the parliamentary system, the state head will actually become the Prime Minister, whom appoints the party, which has received the majority of parliamentary seats in the State Duma at the elections. The majority of Russians is not going to re-trust their right to the State Duma deputies exactly because they disbelieve the independence of that party which has won the last State Duma elections.

   United Russia (the Russian leading party) "does not have its own, apart from Putin, legitimacy" as considered by the population. 66% of Russians polled by Levada Center sociologists is sure that United Russia deputies have won only because they have been supported by Vladimir Putin". As 18% of Russians assume, the second significant constituent part of success has been the administrative resource which United Russia has used. And only 10% appreciates "the attractive pre-election program", which was named "Putin’s plan – Russia’s victory!". Behind this opinion about the winner is hidden the disbelief in the democracy of the last elections as well as mistrust of the parliament as the power institution.

   However, the absolute trust to the president as the power institution does not yet guarantee the absolute trust of Russians to a man who has occupied the president post. In any way, president Medvedev will not be as popular after inauguration as Prime Minister Putin, if the Russians’ opinion does not change in the nearest months. According to the trust rating conducted in March, the current president outstripped (59%) the elected president (41%). Thus, the amount of those who "have supported the activity of the president Putin" has increased up to 77% in March, 2008 (2001- 57%, 2007 – 70%). And the stake of Russians who think that Vladimir Putin "has created mainly the favorable impression" has increased up to 81% (2001 – 58%, 2007 – 76%). Thus, the Russians know that Vladimir Putin can participate in the next presidential elections 2012. And 55% wants him to win these elections, though 19% is against.

   If the successor decides to change this situation in his favor, he, as it seems, may need to surpass achievements of president Putin in the areas prior to the Russians. According to Levada Center survey, the top three of the Putin achievements comprises: "the economic state development" (21%), "increase of the Russian standards of living, growth of salaries and pensions" (16%), "increase of optimism, hopes for the quicker improvement of the situation in the country" (12%). Thus, the 42-year Dmitry Medvedev has to take into consideration that people aged 25-39 years and the so-called upper middle class speak about the support of Putin activities more often, 77% among which is sure that "the country follows the correct direction".

   On this background it is more reasonable for president Medvedev to distance himself from "the national projects" by keeping all problems which have arisen with their realization on the government so for the sake of his own rating growth. People, as sociologists found out, are displeased with "the national projects", although the number of those who are sure that money allocated to these national projects would be "stolen", has reduced more than twice (from 31% in 2006 to 15% in 2008). At the same time within the years of the national projects realization, grows the stake of the Russians considering that these measures do not improve the situation in none of these four industries. If in 2006 42% of the Russians considered the national education project ineffective, in 2008 this number reached 45%. The number of the dissatisfied with the state of health care has increased from 44% up to 54%. 60% of polled did not observe changes in providing of housing two years ago, now this number is 66%. And 52% of polled did not accept changes in agriculture, now it is 62%.

   But the most important what Dmitry Medvedev should take into consideration is that the majority of the Russians treats the Putin stabilization extremely carefully and understands perfectly that it is attained "by means of rejection of democratic transformations and market reforms". So considers 46% of polled. And 73% is sure that it is "good" when stability is attained due to rejection of democracy.