site.btaSurvey Shows Low Level of Information about Bulgarian EU Presidency in 2018 Among Bulgarians

Survey Shows Low Level of Information about Bulgarian EU Presidency  in 2018 Among Bulgarians

Sofia, December 6 (BTA) - Bulgarians' level of information about the Bulgarian Presidency of the EU Council in 2018 is still low, show the results of a phone survey by Gallup International Balkan. The agency said that only 3 per cent of the 1,013 respondents managed to spontaneously name the exact year of the Bulgarian EU Presidency, 80 per cent could not reply and the rest gave wrong answers.

The survey's results are natural given the fact that at present this topic is not current and is not related to a public debate, the sociologists commented and noted that the EU-related questions are traditionally more distant for the general public.

Forty-seven per cent think that the Bulgarian public administration will handle the Presidency of the EU Council well as opposed to 45 per cent. The older generations tend to have a more optimistic view of the public administration's capabilities, the agency reported.

Asked what Bulgaria should focus on so as to advertise itself through the Presidency of the EU Council, most respondents mentioned nature (32 per cent) or history (27 per cent). Fewer respondents selected options such as qualified workforce, business opportunities, culture and art.

The lack of confidence in Bulgaria's current capabilities is a direct consequence of the traditionally low trust in national institutions and the predominant pessimism at various levels, the sociologists commented.

The survey proves the need of quick managerial actions on the topic, as well as a large-scale information campaign which could change the trends in the remaining years until the Bulgarian EU Presidency, the analysts said.