According to a survey conducted by the Independent Institute of Socio-Economic and Political Studies, Aliaksandr Lukashenka‘s is losing popularity: his approval rating has slipped to 40%. It is particularly remarkable that the poll was taken in early December, shortly before a foreign currency crisis and reshuffling the Cabinet.
The nation’s confidence in the president has also been shattered: only 49.9% respondents said they trusted Lukashenka (37.7% – in December, 2013; 49.6% – June, 2014; 53.3% – September, 2014).
The decrease in the approval rating may be triggered by the fact that the Ukrainian issue does not play such a great role in the common perception any more, the experts of the IISEPS say. ‘The fears of total destabilisation’ that arose in Belarus as a result of the recent developments in Ukraine have fallen by the wayside; it is the economic problems that ‘determine the Belarusians’ attitude to the state authorities,’ they stress.
In the course of the survey the Institute has canvassed 1,504 persons; the coverage error does not exceed 3%, the sociologists say.
