MOSCOW, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's popularity rose after a national televised address last week, curbing a four-week slide, according to a weekly poll by the Public Opinion Foundation published on Dec. 10.
Analysts have described Putin’s popularity as the backbone of a political system plagued by weak institutions.
All three of Russia’s main polling agencies had registered a dip in the popularity of Putin and President Dmitry Medvedev in recent months as the country’s economic slump dragged into its second year.
Putin’s approval rating climbed 3 percentage points to 68, its highest level in five weeks in a poll of 2,000 people taken on Saturday and Sunday. Medvedev’s rating climbed four points to 58 percent, its highest level in a month.
The poll came two days after Putin vowed to ruthlessly fight Islamist rebels in a four-hour televised question and answer session with the Russian people. He also demanded tough measures be taken against those responsible for a train bombing that killed 26 on Nov. 27.
The polling coincided with strong statements by Putin and Medvedev to demand officials be held accountable for their part in a nightclub fire that has killed 132, according to the Emergencies Ministry.
A Levada Centre poll released earlier this week showed only 26 percent of Russians had confidence in the ability of Putin’s government to revive the struggling economy, down from 33 percent in September.
Russia remains mired in a deep economic crisis, with GDP contracting 8.9 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier and unemployment up by more around a third since the start of the economic crisis.
