Almost half of Russians (49 per cent) would want Vladimir Putin's third presidential term to be his last, and for another politician to take the state's top position in six years' time, a poll by Levada Centre has shown, corporate-owned Interfax news agency reported on 23 August.

Since March, holders of this opinion have increased by 6 per cent, sociologists said. While 22 per cent of respondents are not against another presidential term for Putin (compared with 17 per cent in March), 7 per cent would like Dmitriy Medvedev to replace him as president in 2018 (6 per cent in March). Since March, the number of people undecided on this matter has decreased from 34 to 22 per cent.

Asked what, above all, Russia's leaders are guided by in their work, over a third of respondents (35 per cent) cited their desire "to retain power at any price and to protect the status achieved". However, others believe that the people in power really want "to turn Russia into a modern, economically-developed, socially-successful country" and to return to it "the status of a great power and to restore the former geopolitical balance of forces" (25 per cent each).

Meanwhile, although 36 per cent of respondents believe that order is being established in Russia, 23 per cent spoke of increasing disorder and chaos. Fourteen per cent of those polled noted signs of the formation of "an authoritarian regime" and 10 per cent the strengthening of democracy. A further 17 per cent of citizens have no idea about what is happening in the country.

The poll was conducted on 17-21 August on the basis of a representative, nationwide sample of urban and country population among 1,601 people aged 18 and over in 130 localities in 45 regions.

Keywords: Russia, Government, Politics - Russian News - Russia - Johnson's Russia List

Almost half of Russians (49 per cent) would want Vladimir Putin's third presidential term to be his last, and for another politician to take the state's top position in six years' time, a poll by Levada Centre has shown, corporate-owned Interfax news agency reported on 23 August.

Since March, holders of this opinion have increased by 6 per cent, sociologists said. While 22 per cent of respondents are not against another presidential term for Putin (compared with 17 per cent in March), 7 per cent would like Dmitriy Medvedev to replace him as president in 2018 (6 per cent in March). Since March, the number of people undecided on this matter has decreased from 34 to 22 per cent.

Asked what, above all, Russia's leaders are guided by in their work, over a third of respondents (35 per cent) cited their desire "to retain power at any price and to protect the status achieved". However, others believe that the people in power really want "to turn Russia into a modern, economically-developed, socially-successful country" and to return to it "the status of a great power and to restore the former geopolitical balance of forces" (25 per cent each).

Meanwhile, although 36 per cent of respondents believe that order is being established in Russia, 23 per cent spoke of increasing disorder and chaos. Fourteen per cent of those polled noted signs of the formation of "an authoritarian regime" and 10 per cent the strengthening of democracy. A further 17 per cent of citizens have no idea about what is happening in the country.

The poll was conducted on 17-21 August on the basis of a representative, nationwide sample of urban and country population among 1,601 people aged 18 and over in 130 localities in 45 regions.