After the Wagner revolt, Prigozhin’s popularity did not fall as little as expected. Some respondents would even vote for him as President of Russia.
Moscow – It’s been a turbulent week for the Russians. Last Saturday (June 24), Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin and his mercenaries stormed the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and engaged in skirmishes with the Russian armed forces in the metropolis of Voronezh, only to stop their alleged triumph shortly before Moscow.
However, the revolt, which finally ended with Prigozhin’s exile and a pardon for those involved, did not completely collapse support for the Wagner leader. This comes from a Opinion poll of the Levada Center. The polling institute, which the Kremlin classified as a “foreign agent” in 2016, is the only independent institute in all of Russia.
Russia: ‘Victorious General’ Prigozhin’s reputation plummeted during Wagner Rebellion
According to Levada, two days before the uprising, Prigozhin had the approval of 58 percent of the 1,643 respondents. The polling institute indicated that respondents saw him as a “patriot” and “victorious general.” It’s an image bolstered by the relative success of its Wagner fighters on the battlefield compared to their regular Russian counterparts. The Wagner group was in the media for months, particularly due to the heavy fighting around the small town of Bachmut.
Russian popular support for Prigozhin fell to 31 percent during the “mutiny,” as Vladimir Putin called the uprising, and remained at 29 percent after it ended unsuccessfully, Levada reported. In general, Putin chose clear words, called Prigozhin a “traitor” and swore revenge. A few days later, however, Moscow decided to sweep the revolt under the carpet.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also played down the armed mercenary uprising: “Russia came out of all kinds of messes – and it’s hard to call this more than a mess – stronger and more stable,” Lavrov told the Russian press on Friday (June 30). . Putin’s failure to carry out his threats has sparked speculation that his position is far weaker than previously thought.
Possible Putin successor: Almost every tenth person in Russia wants Prigozhin
Outside the Kremlin walls, it is difficult to assess how secure Vladimir Putin’s position still is. However, there has been speculation about possible successors for some time. The Wagner boss Prigozchin was also said to have political ambitions. When asked about a hypothetical presidential candidate, Yevgeny Prigozhin, nine percent of respondents said they would vote for the 62-year-old, despite the revolt.
The Levada survey also revealed that more and more people are concerned about Russia’s future development. The reasons given included the costly Ukraine war and the increasingly isolated economy. Only 61 percent of those surveyed stated that the country would develop positively. (nak)
#Prigozhin #continued #popular #Russia #uprising #Putin