Bulgarian Pollsters Give Slight Lead to GERB against Socialists

The centrist Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB, has a slight lead against the opposition left-wing Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, according to recent polls.

Speaking for bTV Monday morning, Kolio Kolev, from Mediana polling agency said if the election was to be held now, GERB would get 21.3% of the vote, while BSP will have 20.4%. According to Parvan Simeonov from Gallup, these percentages are 19.7% and 18.6%, respectively.

Over 2/3 of Bulgarians believe Prime Minister and GERB leader, Boyko Borisov, had resigned led by the desire to avoid responsibility and to salvage himself and the party, while 29% have responded he had made the decision in order to save the country, Kolev informed, reminding Borisov's own statement that giving up the rule of the country would be of his and GERB's benefit.

Parvanov explained the latest developments have turned political power into a "hot potato," and very few now want to have it.

"GERB did not lose as much as expected. There is a potential for a new formation, not a new GERB, rather a new far-right nationalist movement. There is plenty of social pathos in the protests and people were intuitively attracted by nationalist symbolic. There is still potential, but there is also a sense of fatigue, while the numerous demands have reached stalemate and we have a political dead-end," said the expert.

He noted there would be two likely scenarios: joining effort and ruling together for the country's sake or common responsibility becomes no one's responsibility.

The Cabinet of Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov and his Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB, resigned on February 20th amidst unprecedented since 1997 protests against high utility bills, monopolies, poverty, economic stagnation, corruption, and the political model of ruling the country after the fall of the Communist regime in 1989.

A caretaker government was named on March 12.

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