site.btaBarometer Bulgaria: GERB With Negligible Lead on Socialists, Outcome Remains Unclear

Barometer Bulgaria: GERB With Negligible Lead on Socialists, Outcome Remains Unclear

Sofia, March 22 (BTA) - An express poll by Barometer Bulgaria found that GERB has a negligible lead on the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and it will remain unclear to the very election day which one will win the most votes on March 26. The poll was taken by phone among 806 eligible voters on March 21-22.

Following are the results by party: GERB with 22.1 per cent, BSP 21.6 per cent, United Patriots 16.3 per cent, Movement for Rights and Freedoms 6.5 per cent, Volya 5.8 per cent, Reformist Bloc - People's Voice 3.6 per cent. 7 per cent are undecided and 14.9 per cent are not going to vote.

The United Patriots' threats to stage a blockade at the border with Turkey to hinder large numbers of Bulgarian migrants in Turkey from coming to vote in Bulgaria have won the United Patriots an extra 200,000 votes. This makes them a sure kingmaker as the next Parliament forms a government, according to the pollsters.

If voters' declared intentions materialize, Bulgaria might wake up with a unique situation after March 26 in which three political powers will have equal results: GERB, BSP and United Patriots, according to Barometer Bulgaria.

The pollsters point out, though, that things are very dynamic in the final days to the elections.

Their expectations are for five to six political forces to be represented in the next Parliament.

What has changed since the previous Barometer Bulgaria poll is a growing support for the Movement for Rights and Freedoms and minimal support for DOST now (under 1 per cent).

Despite the revoked sanction for a failure to vote, the number of people who are not going to vote tends down, apparently mobilized by the stories of large numbers of Bulgarian migrants from Turkey who plan to vote on March 26 (and apparently wishing to minimize the effect of this vote which they see as "external").

Those who have not yet decided how to vote are also getting fewer.