According to the amendments to the NGO law, political activities, among other things, is considered “the formation of public and political opinion through opinion polls».
To recognize the “Levada-center”, “foreign agent “The Ministry of Justice has asked the movement” Antimaydan “. The head of the movement, Dmitry Sablin senator, said that the center conducts research “on the US Department of Defense line commissioned the University of Wisconsin.”
«Novaya Gazeta» talked with the director, “Levada-Center” and the experts about what the situation threatens the public.
Lev Gudkov , etc. irektor « Levada center » , Ph.D.:
As I took it? I’m in a rage and frustration. Checking we took all the last three weeks, so it was not a surprise. Against the “Levada” were for a long time, this is nothing new. Generally speaking, we are not unique, foreign agents recognize a lot of non-profit organizations, their there today about 140, but in this series, “Levada-Center”, of course, sufficient authority.
In reality, it would mean the destruction of the independent research conducted in the country. Other such organizations is no more. Of course, we will challenge this decision, but understand that the odds are not very many.
It is understood that the Ministry of Justice made a political order on the denunciation of the Federation Council member Sablina. He is one of the ideological leaders “Antimaydana”, a man who drowns everything they can to show their political loyalty and dedication.
The law on foreign agents from a legal point of view simply absurd and blatantly non-legal. It is made very well, it gets all
You do not coughed where necessary, sneeze, sideways look at some official -. It will all be considered as a political activity. It becomes criminal if you perform commercial orders for foreign firms. Other sources of finance we have: we do not finance the budget, we do not get anything from there. We earned this money by performing market research study of consumer behavior.
Our data recently did show reduction (level of public confidence in the authorities and politicians – ed. ), but it we recorded a decline after the start of testing, so that direct communication, probably not.
I do not think this is the president’s administration initiated. This wind is coming from the power unit, which is generally responsible for all adventurous and repressive policies in the country. Indeed, this corrupt and mafia power is very nervously react to the publication of our data. The act we are blamed precisely fixing the views of the population on the corruption of the authorities and politicians. Here the situation is really “Shchedrin,” as he wrote: “Chto-to began to emphasize patriotism – apparently once again caught stealing severely».
Gregory Melkonyants , deputy executive director of the association “the Voice»:
– «Levada» publish independent ratings of politicians, and it is clear that these events are related to the upcoming elections, more than that, the latest figures are published center recorded a decrease popularity of “United Russia”. The current law, rather loyal to the “peaceful” time, sets strict limits the maximum participation of “agents” in election campaigns, while leaving open the list of forms of such participation.
What exactly facing the organization the status of “Agent” – is a question of interpretation if the law will be interpreted broadly, any case studies can be viewed as political activities, including the publication of the rating of the party, and then a simple postscript, that the studies conducted “agent”, will not be able to escape. The sanctions, which could be followed in this case, can be the most brutal: the huge fines – up to liquidation of the organization
I see one of the possible re-registration center outputs into a commercial structure.. “Levada-center” exists as an NGO, because the status of this he got historically, as such, he was a founder member, and clear their desire to keep him, but in fact, public opinion polls – is a commercial service.
But even in this case the Ministry of Justice actions will have negative consequences for the industry and sociological science in general. Intensify our isolation, the next time any research organization that decides to launch a joint project with a Western university or center, will think twice, but is it worth to substitute each other in such a cooperation.
Ivan Klimov Associate Professor of NRU “Higher school of Economics»:
– You can register as a commercial company and conclude research contracts through them, and so many do. But this means that the industry will be further commercialized and open data in it will be less – they will go out of the public review, and we will receive less objective information
commercial results of the study are a trade secret -. That commodity . In addition, “Levada-center”, if he tries to stay in the scientific field will be less competitive, in cooperation with foreign academic environment, it will be closed, many grants and programs that could finance his participation in major research projects.
Gregory Yudin , Professor of the Moscow School of Social and Economic Sciences:
– You have to understand the difference between “Levada” from POF or VTsIOM: they, in Unlike these companies, the Kremlin does not give orders, and therefore, can not be so easy to order, what questions to ask and how to publish results.
The publication of polls is a very powerful tool for a large machine that aims to provide the desired result in the election.
must be understood that asking people with the label “foreign agent” simply impossible, so if vse-taki authorities will be able to disrupt the “Levada-Center”, we will have a much more cautious about the figures that will print the remaining agencies. »
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