Results of our studies

IN BRIEF

MOSCOWAugust 12, 2009. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents view of Russians towards President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili, as well as towards prospects for  development of friendly relations between Russia and Georgia.

Overwhelming majority of Russians think that Georgia needs a more decent President than Saakashvili (79%).  Eleven percent noted that they would not say that they like everything about the President of Georgia, but they respect the choice of  the Georgian people. In every two out of 100 cases our fellow citizens express respect and liking towards the President of Georgia. 

 

Remarkably, more educated respondents tend to think that Georgia needs a more decent President (70% of Russians with elementary education and 83% among those with higher and incomplete higher education). Less educated respondents more often than Russians with higher level of education point out that although they do not like Saakashvili, they respect the choice of the Georgian people (14% among respondents with elementary education versus 6% of Russians with higher and incomplete higher education).

 

The amount of those who are confident that there is no possibility for the further development of friendly relations between Russia and Georgia with the current Georgian President Saakashvili has more than doubled in recent five years: such point of view was shared by 32% of respondents in 2004 and 78% in 2009. Moreover, five years ago 40% or Russians   had hopes for friendship between the two nations with the current President of Georgia. Today there are only 14% of such respondents. More than one-quarter of Russians were undecided on the perspective of the further development of Georgian-Russian relations. Inhabitants of North-Western Federal District rarer than others mark the possibility of friendly relations between the two states (6% of respondents).

 

It is interesting that among those respondents who consider that Georgia deserves a much better president than Saakashvili, 88% have doubts about the possibility of further positive scenario for relations between Russia and Georgia. At the same time, respondents respecting the choice of the Georgian people were divided in opinion on the further development of relations between the two countries (44% think that friendly relations are possible, the same share has an opposing view towards the issue).

 

The initiative Russian opinion polls were conducted on July 25-26, 2009. 

1600 respondents were interviewed at 140 sampling points in 42 regions of Russia.

The margin of error does not exceed 3.4%.

 

 

What is your attitude towards Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili? (open-ended question, one answer)

 

Total respondents

Education

Elementary, or lower, incomplete secondary education

 

Secondary  (school, technical college)

Secondary special (college)

Incomplete higher

 (not less than 3 years), higher

I treat him with respect and liking

2

2

1

2

1

It is not everything that I like in Saakashvili, but I respect the choice of the Georgian people

11

14

13

10

6

I think that Georgia needs another more decent President

79

70

77

80

83

Hard to tell

9

13

8

8

9

Do you think there is a possibility of the development of friendly relations between Russia and Georgia with the current Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili in office? (close-ended question, one answer)

 

2004

2009

Definitely yes

5

3

Rather yes

35

11

Rather no

25

30

Definitely no

7

48

Hard to tell

28

8

Do you think there is a possibility of the development of friendly relations between Russia and Georgia with the current Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili in office? (close-ended question, one answer)

 

Total respondents

Federal Districts*

CFD

NWFD

SFD

PFD

UFD

SFD

DFD

Definitely yes

3

3

1

2

4

0

5

5

Rather yes

11

12

5

11

14

14

8

8

Rather no

30

23

29

29

31

43

35

32

Definitely no

48

52

62

51

46

35

40

51

Hard to tell

8

11

3

8

6

7

12

4

*Abbreviations

CFD - Central Federal District

NWFD - North-Western Federal District

SFD - Southern Federal District

PFD - Volga Federal District

UFD - Urals Federal District

SFD - Siberian Federal District

DFD - Far-Eastern Federal District

 

Do you think there is a possibility of the development of friendly relations between Russia and Georgia with the current Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili in office? (close-ended question, one answer)

 

What is you attitude towards Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili?

 

 

I treat him with respect and liking

It is not everything that I like in Saakashvili, but I respect the choice of the Georgian people

 

 

I think that Georgia needs another more decent President

Yes

75

44

8

No

21

44

88

Hard to tell

4

12

5

 

Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or www.wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM,

the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory!

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