You're reading: More Russians believe autocracy does Russia good

Moscow - Russian citizens do not deny the importance of concentrating power at a certain time in order to resolve tasks the country is facing but do not want to give up their freedoms, Levada Center said citing its March poll.

Currently 46% of respondents think that certain situations occur,
where the country needs to concentrate power in one pair of hands, and
31% of Russians are certain that “our nation always needs a strong
hand,” sociologists told Interfax following the survey conducted in 130
cities, towns and villages in 45 Russian regions.

Meanwhile, 15% of Russian citizens are absolutely opposed to this and
do not want power to be in the hands of one person, the poll showed.

According to the information of Levada Center, in March 2013 the
share of those supporting autocracy was five percent points lower (72%)
and had more opponents (20%).

As of now, 63% of respondents believe that concentrating almost all
power in Vladimir Putin does Russia good but much fewer people (49%)
thought so a year ago, the poll showed. Nineteen percent of Russians
said that autocracy will lead to nothing good (against 13% in 2013).

A total of 44% of respondents think that authorities should let
people mind their own business and are obliged to make sure that people
do not violate laws, sociologists said. While 42% of Russian citizens
said they urged authorities to treat any “liberties” in political and
economic life more strictly.