Russia’s New People party rises to second place in polls

By Ahmet Taş | Wise News Press
MOSCOW, Russia — Russia’s Kremlin-approved New People party has risen to second place in official polling, as public frustration grows over internet restrictions, wartime pressure and limited political choice.

According to Euronews, the party, founded in 2020 as a controlled outlet for protest-minded voters, has doubled its support over the past year. Data from the state-backed polling agency VTsIOM put support for New People at 13.4%, up from 6.6% a year earlier.

The figures suggest that some Russians are turning to the only legal political force that cautiously criticizes parts of state policy without directly challenging President Vladimir Putin or the Kremlin’s core power structure.

New People overtakes older opposition parties

The latest VTsIOM data placed New People ahead of Russia’s traditional system opposition parties. The Communist Party stood at 10.9%, while the Liberal Democratic Party, once led by the late ultranationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky, was measured at 10.1%.

For the first time, the gap between New People and the older system opposition parties reached 2.5 percentage points. The result is politically significant in a system where opposition activity is tightly controlled and independent political forces face heavy pressure.

Support for United Russia, the ruling party effectively led by Putin, has also declined. According to the same polling data, United Russia fell from 36% in April 2024 to 27.7%.

Putin’s own approval rating, published on 24 April, stood at 65.6%. That was described as the lowest level recorded since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Polling data remains difficult to verify

The polling figures should be treated with caution. VTsIOM is a state-run institution, and its data cannot be independently verified. Russia’s wartime censorship and political climate may also push respondents to give answers they believe are socially acceptable or safe.

Still, political commentator Andrey Pertsev told Euronews that VTsIOM had no obvious reason to artificially inflate New People’s support. According to Pertsev, the party’s real level of support could even be higher than the official figures suggest.

Analysts say the rise of New People may not reflect broad enthusiasm for the party itself. Instead, it may show that many Russians are looking for a low-risk way to express dissatisfaction inside the limits of the political system.

Internet restrictions fuel public frustration

Internet restrictions appear to be one of the main reasons behind the party’s recent rise. Russian authorities have tightened control over digital platforms since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Facebook and Instagram were blocked in spring 2022. YouTube was slowed in August 2024. By March, WhatsApp and Telegram, each used by more than 90 million people in Russia, had become nearly inaccessible in large parts of the country.

Telegram has been especially important in Russia. According to 2024 Mediascope data cited by Euronews, the platform reached 74% of Russians aged 12 and older every month, while one in two Russians used it daily. For many users, Telegram is not only a messaging app but also a work tool, advertising platform and major news source.

The frustration peaked in March, when mobile internet was disrupted in central Moscow for three weeks. Only Kremlin-approved websites, major banks, the Yandex ecosystem and state media remained easily accessible.

The disruption affected daily life in the capital. Residents struggled to order taxis, make card payments and use basic services that required an internet connection. Kommersant reported that Moscow’s economy lost between 3 billion and 5 billion rubles in the first five days alone.

Party campaigns on digital freedoms

New People moved quickly to occupy the political space created by anger over internet restrictions. Vladislav Davankov, deputy speaker of the State Duma and a former presidential candidate, launched a campaign against Telegram restrictions that reportedly collected more than 1 million signatures.

Critics, however, said the voting system allowed multiple submissions, raising questions about the reliability of the figure.

At the party’s March congress, the word “VPN” appeared prominently on stage. Party leader Alexey Nechayev said New People represented a Russia that wanted to live without bans and coercion, while focusing on domestic problems.

Nechayev said the party had opposed restrictions, bans, the raising of the conscription age and total control over the internet. This message has helped the party gain visibility among urban voters and people who depend heavily on digital platforms.

Controlled opposition remains central to the debate

Despite its reformist language, New People is widely described as part of Russia’s controlled political system. The party was founded on 1 March 2020 and entered parliament after winning 5.32% of the vote in the 2021 parliamentary elections. It secured 13 seats in the State Duma.

Pertsev said the party was designed to redirect protest-minded urban voters away from non-systemic opposition and into a controllable political channel.

Nechayev, a businessman and owner of the cosmetics company Faberlic, has denied any direct Kremlin link. However, he has previously described three unwritten rules for political parties in Russia: do not criticize Putin or his inner circle, do not organize protests and do not accept foreign funding.

New People has largely operated within those boundaries. It has criticized some government measures, but it has avoided direct confrontation with Putin and the security establishment.

Parliamentary record draws criticism

The party’s record in parliament has raised doubts about the limits of its opposition role. New People lawmakers have often voted with United Russia on measures they later criticized publicly.

Although the party says it supports local democracy, it largely backed legislation allowing regions to abolish direct mayoral elections. The party also joined other parliamentary forces in supporting the 2022 law criminalizing the spread of what authorities call “fake news” about the Russian army.

Davankov tried to appeal cautiously to anti-war voters during his presidential campaign, but he did not use the word “war” or call for Russian troops to withdraw from Ukraine.

After the March 2024 presidential vote, Davankov congratulated Putin and said only Putin could win the war and secure lasting peace. New People’s regional branches have also continued sending aid to Russian soldiers at the front.

Kremlin faces a strategic choice

The party’s rise comes ahead of parliamentary elections expected in September. For the Kremlin, New People’s growth may be both useful and risky.

On one hand, it could help channel protest votes into a safe, legal and manageable party. On the other hand, if the party grows too strong, it could complicate United Russia’s dominant position.

Political analyst Abbas Gallyamov described the party’s rise as a sign of growing anti-system sentiment. He told Euronews that voters have very limited choices and are selecting the safest available option to express dissatisfaction.

Pertsev suggested that Kremlin political managers could allow New People to replace the Communist Party as the second force in the system. Whether that happens may depend on whether Putin personally heads United Russia’s election list and how economic problems develop before the vote.

If Putin leads the ruling party’s list, United Russia may be expected to produce a very high official result. If he does not, and economic pressure worsens, allowing protest votes to move toward New People could be presented as a safe outcome for the regime.

For now, the party’s rise shows that even in Russia’s tightly managed political system, public frustration over internet controls, war pressure and economic uncertainty is still finding ways to surface.

www.wisenewspress.com