More than half of Ukrainians now disapprove of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s performance in office, according to a poll by the Rating Group sociological agency.
In total, 2,000 respondents took part in the poll, which was conducted on Sept. 3-6 and published on Sept. 16
According to the poll, 57% of respondents disapproved of Zelensky’s performance, while 35% approved.
That put’s Zelensky’s approval rating at an all-time low and his disapproval rating at an all-time high. The president registered highest approval rating (70%) and lowest disapproval rating (just over 10%) in September 2019.
Other ratings
His predecessor, former President Petro Poroshenko, currently has a disapproval rating of 76% and an approval rating of 18%.
However, the Rating Group found that 29% would vote for Zelensky in a presidential election were it held in the near future, making him the most popular presidential candidate in the poll.
Lawmaker Yuriy Boyko from the pro-Russian Opposition Platform — For Life party would be runner-up with 15.5%. Poroshenko and ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko would get 14% and 9.3%, respectively.
This is Zelensky’s lowest-ever percentage forecast since he received 30% of the vote in the first round of the presidential election on March 31, 2019. He received 73% in the run-off on April 21.
Other Ukrainian politicians also received very low approval ratings.
Verkhovna Rada Speaker Dmytro Razumkov, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, the Cabinet of Ministers and the parliament itself have approval ratings of 23%, 14%, 11% and 11%, respectively. Their disapproval ratings stand at 55%, 59%, 73% and 76%, respectively.
Of all government institutions, the military has the highest approval rating – 51%, while the special anti-corruption prosecutor’s office has the lowest one – 7%.
The courts have the highest disapproval rating – 69%, while the military has the lowest one – 32%.
Corona economy
The poll also offers insights into how Ukrainians view the economic and political situation in their country.
According to the Rating Group, 68% of respondents believe Ukraine is headed in the wrong direction. Only 18% believe the country is moving in the right direction.
Sixty-three percent of respondents believe the economic situation has gotten worse in the past half-year, while only 7% see improvements. Moreover, 57% primarily blamed the current economic crisis on incompetence by the Ukrainian government. Only 26% blamed the coronavirus pandemic, and 8% blamed the continuation of Russia’s war in the Donbas.
Of all respondents, 45% said Ukraine’s coronavirus responde was “optimal.” Twenty-three percent said the measures were too soft, while 18% found them too strict.
