site.btaApproval of Government up 7% Since Beginning of Mandate - Survey

Sofia, August 16 (BTA) - Approval of the incumbent Borissov cabinet has risen over its first 100 days in office, a survey of the Barometer Bulgaria agency showed. The survey was conducted by telephone interviews of 1,002 respondents aged above 18 in the period between August 11 and 15. Forty-two per cent of the respondents approved the work of the GERB + United Patriots government, 7 per cent more than those at the beginning of the mandate.

Forty-eight per cent of the interviewees said they do not approve of the work of the government and 10 per cent were neither in favour nor against what it has done so far.

For the first time a Bulgarian government after that of Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha /July 2001 - August 2005/ has registered an increasing approval after its first 100 days in office, the agency noted.

Prime Minister Boyko Borissov traditionally has the highest rating among the members of the cabinet, most probably due to his activity in foreign affairs, including recent visits to Germany, France and Turkey, as well as summit meetings. The 'war' his government has declared on administrative pressure also has a positive effect, as does the signing of the Treaty of Friendship and Good Neigbourliness with Macedonia.

Approval of Deputy Prime Minister  and Minister of Defence Krassimir Karakachanov is also rising. Traditionally, he ranks among the top rating politicians, but his reasonable policy in reconsidering the costs of billions for new fighter aircraft probably has a positive effect. This is also enhanced by his intention to restore the Bulgarian military industry as a minister.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva is also among the approved cabinet members, particularly in the part concerning issuance of documents of Bulgarians living abroad.

Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev traditionally garners the approval of Bulgarians, ranking among the first five of government members.

The electorate is tired of the constant elections in the preceding years and judges according to merit the stability provided by the government for normal economic activity. Unemployment, the bane of Bulgarian society, has now been replaced by a shortage of workforce in entire sectors of the economy which, in turn, provides another explanation for the responses in the survey, Barometer Bulgaria said.