You're reading: Poll Reveals Gap Between Zelensky, Poroshenko Narrowing

According to a survey undertaken by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology between Feb. 5-13, a quarter of respondents (25%) would vote for current President Volodymyr Zelensky and 22% would favour his predecessor, Petro Poroshenko, if an election took place now.

This means that the rating of the current president has dropped and the rating of his rival Poroshenko – leader of the European Solidarity Party – has increased compared with December 2021.

Other results from the poll (rounded) are as follows:

  • 12% for ex-prime minister and leader of the Motherland party, Yulia Tymoshenko;
  • 8% for leader of Opposition Platform – For Life, Yuriy Boyko;
  • 7% for former speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, Dmytro Razumkov;
  • 7% for Yevhen Murayev, leader of the Ours (Nashi) Party;
  • 6% for Ihor Smeshko, leader of the Power and Honor party;
  • 5% for Volodymyr Groysman, leader of the Ukrainian Strategy party;
  • 4% for Oleh Lyashko, leader of the Radical Party;
  • 2% for Oleh Tyahnybok, leader of Freedom; and
  • 1% for Kira Rudyk, leader of the Voice party.

The remaining candidates would receive a combined 2% of the votes.

A total of 11% of respondents would not go to the polls, 2% would spoil the ballot or delete all candidates, 11% hesitated to answer and less than 0.5% refused to answer.

Compared to December 2021, the ratings for Zelensky, Smeshko, and Lyashko all decreased, while Groysman’s fell slightly and Murayev’s remained unchanged.

Conversely, the ratings of Poroshenko, Boyko, Razumkov, Tyahnybok and Rudyk rose, while Tymoshenko’s rose slightly.

The survey was conducted using computer-assisted telephone interviewing technology, involving 2,000 respondents aged 18+ in all government-controlled regions of Ukraine.

The statistical sampling error (with a probability of 0.95 and taking into account the design effect of 1.1) does not exceed 2.4% for indicators close to 50%; 2.1% for indicators close to 25%; 1.5% for indicators close to 10%; and 1.1% for indicators close to 5%.