Fresh Poll Gives GERB 7% Edge over Bulgarian Socialists

The latest pool results were released Thursday by the National Center for Study of Public Opinion. File photo

If the general elections were to be held now, the center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB, would get 24.4% of the vote, unchanged since January, according to a recent poll.

The poll has been conducted by the National Center for Study of Public Opinion (NZIOM) between March 21 and March 29.

The left-wing Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, lost part of the support and stood at 17.5% of the vote in March. The ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms, DPS, is third with 6.5%.

The far-right, nationalist Ataka has doubled its percentages as result of the mass protests in the country against poverty, stagnation, and political corruption, a card well-played by party leader, Volen Siderov, and is now forth with 5%.

The fifth party having chance to win seats in the next Parliament is the Bulgaria for Citizens of former EU Commissioner, Meglena Kuneva, which at the end of March had 3.5% (the threshold is 4%), down by 2.4% since the beginning of the year.

The so-called "traditional" right wing, including parties such as Democrats for Strong Bulgaria, DSB, and Union of Democratic Forces, UDF, is most likely out.

The data shows that despite the protest rallies Bulgarians still support traditional parties, but any future government that would ignore economic reforms should expect a new wave of protests that could topple it.

15% of the respondents, particularly those in the capital Sofia, say they were prone to change their decision by May 12.

The GERB government of Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, resigned on February 21st, and President, Rosen Plevneliev, had to appoint a caretaker one, which led to his ratings going up by 5% since January to 56% in March.

Borisov's approval, despite the resignation is up to 46% compared to 42% in January; Siderov has 14%, compared to 12%; BSP leader, Sergey Stanishev, is at 27%, unchanged since the beginning of the year; Kuneva's ratings have crashed down to 21%, compared to 32% in January; while the leader of DPS, Lyutvi Mestan, has 10%, compared to the previous 9%.

It is too early to conduct polls on the caretaker government as it does not have even a month in office.

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