Public trust in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy fell to its lowest level in around six months following rare wartime protests against a move to curb the power of anti-corruption watchdogs, a leading Kyiv pollster said on Wednesday.
The survey, by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, is the first by a major Ukrainian pollster to measure public sentiment since Zelenskiy sparked anger with a move to subordinate the agencies to a hand-picked prosecutor-general.
Thousands of Ukrainians had rallied in Kyiv and other cities late last month against the fast-tracked measures, prompting Zelenskiy and his ruling party to quickly reverse course.
The KIIS poll, which began a day after the controversial vote on July 22, found that 58% of Ukrainians currently trust Zelenskiy, down from an 18-month high of 74% in May and 67% in February-March.
The move against anti-corruption authorities last month had fuelled discontent in particular because of what critics described as the speed and lack of transparency with which the measures were passed.
Fighting corruption and improving governance are key requirements for loan-dependent Ukraine to join the European Union, a step many consider critical to fending off future Russian pressure.
Reuters
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