Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin's approval rating has dropped to its lowest level of the year in the first opinion poll published since his ruling party suffered an election setback and he faced the biggest protests of his 12-year rule.
A poll conducted on December 10th-11th and released today showed 51 per cent of Russians approved of how he has done his job, down from 61 per cent in a November 28th-29th survey and 68 per cent in January, state pollster VTsIOM said.
The poll highlighted discontent and fatigue with the 59-year-old leader as he prepares for a presidential election in March which he is widely expected to win, but not as easily as seemed likely a month ago and perhaps not in the first round.
Mr Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, suggested the decline was the result of "emotional overload" among Russians following the election and said his approval rating would swiftly recover.
"On the whole Vladimir Putin's rating remains on quite a high level, while there are fluctuations," Interfax news agency quoted Mr Peskov as saying.
"These days are characterised by an emotional overload linked to the post-election period. But the real state of affairs indicates there are grounds to expect an increase in the premier's rating in the very near future."
Tens of thousands of people protested last Saturday to call for the rerun of the December 4th parliamentary election which opponents say was rigged to benefit the ruling United Russia party. Many protesters also said they were fed up with Mr Putin.
Political analysts say Mr Putin angered many Russians when he revealed a plan to switch jobs next year with president Dmitry Medvedev, the protege he steered into the Kremlin when he was barred form seeking a third term after his 2000-2008 presidency.
The decision, revealed at a September congress of United Russia, deepened feelings of disenfranchisement among Russians who believe they have no influence in a political system dominated by Mr Putin and his party.