The top five most important amendments to the Russian Constitution are mandatory social support for children, protection of unique Russian nature and guarantees of social and pension indexations.

MOSCOW, March 24, 2020. Russian Public Opinion research Centre (VCIOM) presents the results of a survey describing Russian opinions on the importance of certain amendments to the Russian Constitution.

Russia is going to hold a nationwide vote on constitutional amendments.

Of all amendments respondents were proposed to assess, the state’s obligation to provide available and high-quality health services was cited as the most important (95%). Russians think that high priority should also be given to statutory social support for children (93%).

The findings suggest that proposals to enshrine into law the protection of Russia’s nature and unique biodiversity (92%), guaranteed targeted social care and indexation of social benefits (92%), and obligatory yearly pension indexation (92%) are also equally important.

Ninety-one percent of respondents consider it important to develop Russian science and technologies. Nine out of ten respondents believe it is essential to protect the rights of the working people and to set the minimal monthly wage at a level not lower than the subsistence level (90%).

According to 89% of Russians, protection of historical truth (banning the falsification of history; diminishing the exploit of people defending their home country) and the territorial integrity provision should be enshrined in the constitution.

According to 86% of Russians, protection of digital information and personal data should be enshrined in the supreme law of the country. Eighty-five percent of respondents recognize the importance of animal protection and promotion of responsible treatment of animals. The same percentage of Russians think that Russia’s efforts to support and strengthen international security and promote peaceful co-existence of states and peoples should also be prioritized.

For eight out of ten respondents it is important to introduce restrictions for government or local government officials for keeping their valuables in foreign countries (81%). Eighty percent of Russians say that protection of marriage as a union of a man and a woman should be fixed constitutionally.

The following amendments gained less than 80% of votes: priority of the constitution over international law (73%); the state’s responsibility to protect Russian citizens living abroad (71%), lifting the restrictions to run for president in the next election for the former or present president (61%), and creating a public authority unified system (57%).

Less than half of approvals (47%, each, respectively) were given to the broadening of the powers of the Federation Council and the broadening of the powers of the State Duma.

Russian VCIOM-Sputnik survey was conducted on March 22, 2020 and commissioned by the Expert Institute for Social Research. Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,600 Russians aged 18 and older. A stratified dual-frame random sample based on a complete list of Russian landline and mobile phone numbers is used. The data were weighted according to selection probability and social and demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.5%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes in question wording and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.

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