A year has passed since presidential elections in Azerbaijan. How is the mandate of President Aliyev being perceived by the citizens of the country in the Caucasus? A survey conducted by Opinionway, a French research company, revealed that over 85% of the people perceive the actions of President Aliyev as being “positive”.
“The survey shows that Azerbaijanis are happy with their political leadership,” said Bruno Jeanbart, Deputy CEO of Opinionway, at a press conference in Baku this week. “A year after his re-election, the perception of President Aliyev’s foreign and domestic policies, on stability, reforms and regional development is very positive.”
The country’s stability is at the core of Aliyev’s favourable appraisal. More than 80% of those surveyed expressed that stability in the country was the main “success of the President Aliyev’s activities”, not to mention his foreign policy, which was evaluated as “excellent”. Close to half of the people included in the survey noticed a substantial improvement of “Azerbaijan’s reputation in the international arena.” His focus on defence was also highly rated. Close to 60% approve of the reinforcement of the “country’s defence capability and army.”
When asked whether the promises that Aliyev had made during his election campaign have now been fulfilled, more than 75% of the respondents stated that the current president has delivered on most or all of those promises.
In the eyes of the people polled, Aliyev’s has not neglected the domestic front either. More than 60% reported having “approved” his economic reforms and over 55% stated the “population’s welfare has gotten better, salaries, pensions and allowances have increased”. About half of the respondents are satisfied with the fight the president has conducted against corruption.
The “development of sport” also showed solid support among Azerbaijanis, with over 60% calling it a success. In recent years Azerbaijan has increased its emphasis on sports, hosting prestigious events such as Formula 1 racing, the Islamic Solidarity Games and the European Games.
Complementary data revealed that over 70% of the people polled think that the regions have been developed as a result of the State Program on Socio-Economic Development of Regions, adopted by President Aliyev. This initiative is part of the focus he has put on the regions.
The Opinionway survey was based on interviews with 2,000 respondents that were randomly selected in the country in March 2019.