Russians chose free healthcare and education over political rights

Free healthcare and education are of primary importance to Russians, not political rights, the Kommersant newspaper writes , citing the results of a survey conducted by the HSE Center for Civil Society and Non-Commercial Sector Studies.

During the study, free medicine and education were named as the most important by 64% and 61% of respondents, respectively. At the same time, 52% of respondents considered the right to life to be of primary importance, 51% - the right to private property, and 50% - the right to work.

47% and 46% of respondents, respectively, named the right to social assistance during illness and social security in old age as the most important. 40% of respondents put the opportunity to have a well-paid job at the forefront.

Political rights and freedoms were important for less than 40% of the survey participants. Thus, only 39% of respondents noted the importance of the right to information, and 38% called the right to express one's own opinion and freedom of speech important. In turn, the right to freely disseminate information by any legal means is considered a priority by only 16% of respondents.

Finally, 15% of respondents consider the right to participate in the governance of society and the state, and the election of representatives to government bodies to be the most important, freedom of assembly - 14%, and the right to create independent societies, unions, and associations representing and defending the rights and interests of citizens - 11%.

Commenting on the results of the survey, the head of the Presidential Council on Human Rights, Valery Fadeyev, stated that “for people at the moment, in their everyday life, education is more important than the right to gather for rallies or organize political parties.”

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