Russians expect 2020 corruption scandals and resignations in the government

2020 will be marked by high-profile corruption scandals, Ministerial resignations and mass protests, said the majority of Russians. It follows from the data of “Levada-center”, which examined “Vedomosti”. Scandals and resignations expect 66% (up to 2013), the mass protests of 45% (an increase of 1 percentage point behind last year and 10 percentage points in two years). Declined markedly over the year, expectations of an economic crisis (by 8 percentage points to 49%), armed conflict with neighbouring countries (11 percentage points to 23%) and the war with the US or NATO (by 5 percentage points to 14%).

overall optimism among Russians increased. For example, 63% of them (5 percentage points more than in 2019) believe that the new year will be better than the previous one, only 55% (against 63%) fear that 2020 will be a busy one for policy and tensions in the economy expect 57% (last year – 65%). Meanwhile, 65% of Russians – and it is also high in 2013 – I think that 2020 will be calm for them personally and their families.

More optimistic expectations for 2020 can be attributed to two factors, says the head of the Department for socio-cultural research of “Levada-center” Alexei Levinson: “by All those who foreground the material conditions of life, believe that things are better – people have time to adapt to difficulties. In addition, there is fatigue and General negativity. The second factor relates to those who follow the moral climate in the country, their estimates are not so optimistic, it concerns fairness in the distribution of income and freedom of speech.” The emotional effect of the pension reform that people said one of the main events of 2019, remains, although the economic impact is that they don’t feel, says the sociologist. “Protests rutinoside, so grows the expectation of civil unrest. The exposure of corrupt officials has also become routine, and people believe that such scandals will continue. Behind this is the belief that the leadership of the country – excluding the President and a few Ministers thoroughly corrupt and only thinks about their pocket,” says Levinson. Recent international developments can raise the anxiety of the Russians, but in society there is an opinion that “we are stronger and we can not do anything” that gives people peace of mind, he adds.

People tend to believe that the coming year will be better, and that from year to year, indicates the head of the Fund ISAPI Dmitry Badovsky: “rising expectations was in relation to 2019 on the background of the pension reform. What is now optimism a few more, can be linked with the strengthening of social policy, benefit programs and support for families.” A more optimistic assessment of their prospects compared to the situation in the country is also a common situation for all of the polls, he continues: “People assume that in their lives they can affect in greater extent, whereas the external processes of the ability and sometimes the desire to influence is much less.” But in anticipation of certain events no significant dynamics, the expert believes: “Respondents often referred to the fact that this happens actually. For example, the jump from 6 to 20% in the responses about the possibility of an economic crisis occurred in the assessment of expectations from 2015, i.e. when the crisis already happened in 2014.” Expecting corruption scandals and resignations, the Russians talking about the scandals, and in recent years there have been many, Badovsky adds: “to Interpret the growth of a request for resignation is impossible. People extrapolat what you hear about corruption scandals, for the next year. So it is with war: less intense was the war in Syria, more calm – the situation with Ukraine, and has less of respondents expect war.”