Bulgaria's Ruling Party Approval Ratings Erode - Poll

According to a recent poll, PM Boyko Borisov's image as a stabilization factor for voters' support for the cabinet is having a gradually decreasing influence. Photo by BGNES

Approval for Bulgaria's ruling center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB, continues to erode, according to a recent poll.

The poll conducted by the Alfa Research Agency shows that despite the dropping ratings, the institutions managed to maintain the approval at the same level in the last three months.

The assessment of Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, remains positive, but only with a 3% margin – 36% approval and 33% disapproval.

According to the experts from the agency, Borisov's image as a stabilization factor for voters' support for the cabinet is having a gradually decreasing influence.

If elections were to be held now, 22% only would vote for GERB, which is also the percentage of those approving of the cabinet. The negative assessment went down slightly – from 36% to 33% on the backdrop of 45% without an opinion.

From members of the cabinet, Agriculture Minister, Miroslav Naydenov, Foreign Minister, Nikolay Mladenov, and Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, enjoy the highest ratings, with the latter having an increase in his approval. This group also includes Regional Minister, Lilyana Pavlova, having the highest rating for the month of May, almost doubling them lately.

The ministers with the lowest ratings are the Minister of Social Policy and Labor, Totyu Mladenov, Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, and the Minister of Environment and Waters, Nona Karadzhova.

The newest members of the cabinet – Health Minister, Desislava Atanasova, and Economy and Energy Minister, Delyan Dobrev, inherit the negative marks of their predecessors.

Almost three years after the GERB government took office, those polled have a hard time noting with conviction one positive aspect in its work. Among the top 7, the "better image of Bulgaria in Europe and globally" is first with just 39%.

Experts say the fact that "independence and objectivity of media" is second with 25% on the backdrop of strong criticism at a recent forum in Brussels and the raging media war is very demonstrative of the state of the country. According to them, this is a clear sign of skepticism about all other aspects of the government's activities. Only 17% believe there is better justice in Bulgaria, 14% - that there is a more promising prospective for young people and 11% - that there is an improvement of living standards.

The Parliament has just 9% approval, while its Speaker, Tsetska Tsacheva – 14%.

The public is divided in their opinion for the first 100 days in office of President, Rosen Plevneliev – 35% believe he is working on important tasks while 37% say the opposite. 39% give him a positive assessment (a 4% decrease) against 15% with a negative one.

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