The latest release of the FOM shows that the recovery in strength after the post-election setback has stalled. United Russia lost 4 points during the week, from 39% to 35%. From the bottom of October (31%) it is still an advantage, but there is no sustainable recovery.
V. Putin's ratings are stable, 75% approve of his work, 73% trust him. The government remained at 49% approval, while the share of those dissatisfied with its work increased from 30 to 32%. The Communist Party of the Russian Federation slides from an October peak of 15% to 12%, equaling the Liberal Democratic Party. There is a request for an alternative, but it still doesn't have a representative: in the last issue, 41% answered that they don't like any party.
The company calmed down after the summer peak of anxiety, but did not return to the calm of last year. For the first time since September, there were significantly more people who were calm than worried: 48% versus 45%. A year ago it was 54% compared to 38%, that is, anxiety throughout the year increased by 7 points and remained stuck at this level.
The main incentives are housing and community services and food, especially meat. 36% notice an increase in community services. This is less than the October peak (41%), but more noticeable than in summer (25-30%). The increase in meat and poultry prices was recorded by 43%.
The summer peak in anxiety was related to specific shocks. An increase in gasoline prices in July was recorded at 59%, now 36%, and anxiety in those weeks reached 57%. As the edge disappeared, so did some of the tension. This means that emotions respond to tangible daily blows, not abstract politics.
But the "new normal" is worse than last year. This is background tension, which will quickly jump with a new shock. The nervousness in the form of housing and community services is clearly felt.
The potential for protest is minimal. 13% are ready to personally participate in the protests, 80% refuse, this is the maximum for the year. Another 63% could not name one event of the week that caught their attention. The result is a dead end accumulation: people have nowhere to go or vote in protest.
Now it's calmer, V. Putin's rating is stable. But the party's recovery in power has faded, the margin of safety is lower than a year ago, and in the winter housing and community services and food prices look more problematic.