The plebiscitary re-election of Putin, who won with more than 80 percent support, has left more than one doubt. Political Thermometer conducted a survey to ask whether those just concluded were free elections representative of the thinking of Russian citizens. According to 33.1% of respondents, these elections could be a farce - and that they cannot even be considered elections and that Russia has become one of the worst dictatorships in the world. Another 28.2% believe that they are instead the typical elections of an authoritarian country in which the leader is more feared than loved, and does not elicit real and free consent. Overall, then, about 60 percent are negative about the goodness of the elections in Russia. On the other hand, there is a 26.4 percent who believe that "these were not very free elections, but still freer than in many other countries that do not attract the attention of the Italian media". Italians' opinion of Vladimir Putin was also analyzed. The majority consider him a dictator who has been stained with the blood of many people and is dangerous for Russia and the whole world (42.3%). Some 25.8 percent see him as an autocrat who is harmful to his own people but not that much different or more dangerous than many other autocrats in the world. Among those, on the other hand, who view the Russian president-who will be in office for another six years-there is a 23.8 percent who believe that while authoritarian, "he is a great leader who acted as was necessary for the specific situation in his country". Finally, a small portion of the sample (5.6 percent) believes him to be for all intents and purposes a great statesman to be inspired by.
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