site.btaPresident Radev Commands Steady Approval of about 60% in First Year

Sofia, January 18 (BTA) - During the first year of his five-year term, President Rumen Radev has commanded a steady approval rating of 60 per cent, with disapproval at about 30 per cent, according to BBSS Gallup International. This is the best score in a President's first year since 1997 when Peter Stoyanov took office.

At the end of 2017, Radev was the most popular politician with 56 per cent approval and 29 per cent approval, says Gallup.

The social and market research agency has published a monthly Political and Economic Index based on opinion polls since 1992.

The low levels of confidence in the presidential institution typical of Rossen Plevneliev (2012-2017) gave way to rather more positive attitudes last year, the sociologists say. An upward trend in confidence was noted after the presidential elections in the autumn of 2016 as is usual when changes take place in the institutions. This trend continued in the first months of 2017 and then approval levelled off at about 60 per cent and disapproval at about 30 per cent.

Gallup comments that this could be partly due to tension between the President and the ruling GERB party, but the more likely explanation is that support reached its ceiling.

The presidential institution is associated primarily with the President and to some extent with the Vice President. Iliana Iotova commands about 25 per cent approval and between 50 and 60 per cent disapproval, which ranks her among the politicians with relatively good approval ratings.

Gallup recalls that the first-year picture was worst during President Plevneliev's term and best in Peter Stoyanov's first year when the public was in extreme anxiety during the political and economic crisis of 1996-1997. While Presidents Zhelyu Zhelev and Peter Stoyanov started off with higher approval ratings which dropped steadily, Georgi Purvanov was the only President who saw his approval rating rise during his first term.

Against this backdrop, Rumen Radev's high confidence score, unmarked by large dips, puts him in a very favourable position among the Presidents so far. Still, the sociologists note that it is not altogether appropriate to compare distant periods.