Russians are quite skeptical about political prospects of Alexei Kudrin, as well as the political future of his liberal party.

MOSCOW, June 25, 2012. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data describing how Russians assess the political future of Alexei Kudrin and his liberal party. 

Russians consider Alexei Kudrin mainly as former minister of finance (38%). Rarer they perceive him as a competent politicians or a person who did not please the authorities (2% for each), a member of government or the head of the Committee of Civil Initiatives (1% for each) and et cet. His name is familiar to most of Russians  (35%); other 21% do not know who he is.

Most of Russians who know who Kudrin is are indifferent to him playing the role of politician (58%). They are basically residents of rural area of Russia (66%) and respondents with low level of income (67%). Eighteen percent of Russians perceive Kudrin positively: they are supporters of non-parliament parties of Russia (40%), partisans of liberal ideas and values (35%), respondents with high level of income (26%) and metropolitan residents (31%). Fourteen percent of Russians perceive negatively the former minister; they are mainly adherents of CPRF party (21%), opponents of liberal ideas (34%), and Muscovites and St.Petersburgians (23%).

Those Russians who know who Kudrin is tend to believe in his political prospects. Twenty-nine percent of them believe that he is a politician of the past; 20% doubt that he can achieve more than he has now. And only 13% of respondents believe in his political future. Those who believe in his future prospect more than others  are supporters of LDPR party (22%) and partisans of liberal  ideas and values (26%). Those who think that Kudrin is the politician of the past are basically CPRF adherents (36%), residents of small cities (37%), opponents of liberal ideas (44%). Adherents of A Just Russia party and metropolitan residents consider that he has achieved a lot and he can hardly achieve more (26%, each).

A relative majority of Russians assess the political future of Kudrin skeptically: 37% consider that he will fail to win the 2016 elections. Those who think so are supporters of CPRF (39%) and United Russia parties (40%), absentees (39%) opponents of liberal ideas (54%), residents of small cities (48%). Sixteen percent doubt that his party will gain seats in the State Duma, however, they admit that the party can win in a number of regions of Russia. Most of those who think so are adherents of CPRF party (20%). Only 17 percent of Russians forecast success of Kudrin`s party in the future (including 15% of those who believe that the party can gain seats in the State Duma and 2% of those who think that the party will be one of the leading ones in the country). Those who believe that the party will enter the parliament are supporters of LDPR party (28%), non-parliament parties (34%), partisans of liberal values (29%) and residents of million-cities (27%).

The initiative Russian opinion polls were conducted June 2-3, 2012. 1600 respondents were interviewed at 138 sampling points in 46 regions of Russia. The margin of error does not exceed 3.4%.

Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory!