The party, like other new parties that appeared at the beginning of 2020, is accused of
spoiling, justifying this opinion by the fact of quick registration and the absence of obstacles from the authorities. In addition, the leader of the New People, Alexey Nechayev, was a member of the Central Council of the
All-Russia People's Front until 2021, headed by
Vladimir Putin. The party is also accused of having links with the current government. So, in December 2020, the party's campaign was headed by political strategist Yevgeny Minchenko, who is close to the
presidential administration. According to sources in the party leadership, Nechayev's entourage and the presidential administration, the new composition of the campaign headquarters should adjust the party's strategy so that the
constitutional majority in the
State Duma remains with
United Russia, and the New People return to their electoral niche – educated
middle class aged 18–30. Pavel Salin, director of the Center for Political Science Research at the
Financial University under the Government, called the party "a spoiler for street protest activity". According to the results of the investigation by MBKh Media, the popularity of the party was ensured not so much by the creativity of its members or the "marathon of ideas", but by the promotion strategy in the regions. MBKh Media came to this conclusion in the course of studying the party's partnerships with regional media. Several media managers in different editions of the
Central Federal District and the
Southern Federal District confirmed to MBKh Media the facts of cooperation with the party without formalizing the relevant documents and complying with the law on advertising. Publications publish the materials needed by New People, covering its activities in a positive light, for money, without making a mandatory note about it in publications, as required by Russian law. In the Legislative Assembly of Omsk Oblast, New People party opposed including on the agenda of the next session the issue of returning direct elections of mayors and district heads, although such an item was in their election program. At the same time, before the elections to the
State Duma of the 8th convocation, the party spoke in its program about the need to return direct elections, the leader of New People,
Nechayev, stated this at the federal level. As Ilya Smirnov, leader of New People faction in the Legislative Assembly of Omsk Oblast, later explained, the faction opposed the inclusion of the CPRF bill on the agenda, because the explanatory note to the bill stated that the bill would not require additional budget expenditures, while the mayoral elections cost money. The initiative of
Sardana Avksentyeva to allow the law of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation to take measures to regulate the number of certain species of animals without owners on the basis of a local referendum received resonance. A little over a week later, a different bill of all factions except the CPRF was introduced into the State Duma, with the participation of Avksentyeva and her party colleague,
Georgy Arapov, supported by the Government. During the voting, New People party, with the exception of the co-authors of the supported bill (and Avksentyeva voted only in the first reading), opposed both initiatives. During the
gubernatorial elections of Altai Krai scheduled for 8–10 September 2023, the New People candidate Vladislav Vakaev, who spent 20 million rubles on his campaign, withdrew his candidacy in mid-August and supported the current governor from United Russia,
Viktor Tomenko. The regional branch of the party called the act of its nominee a betrayal. ==Sanctions==