site.bta Poll: 26.1% Would Have Voted for GERB and 24.9% for Socialists in Hypothetical End-2016 Elections

Poll: 26.1% Would Have Voted for GERB and 24.9% for Socialists in Hypothetical  End-2016 Elections

Sofia, January 10 (BTA) - Had elections been held at the very end of 2016, the ruling GERB party would have won 26.1 per cent of the votes and the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) 24.9 per cent, according to a nationally representative poll by Exacta Research Group held among 1,000 adult Bulgarians between December 27 and 30.

The results are based on open questions in which the respondents were not offered possible answers. Other, indirect, questions indicate that GERB's lead may be slightly bigger, between 2 and 3 per cent.

With an electoral share of 10.5 per cent, the United Patriots emerge as the third biggest political force. The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) get just over the 4 per cent barrier for entry in Parliament. The Right-wing Reformist Bloc (RB) earn 3.5 per cent, the party of businessman-turn-politician Vesselin Mareshki 3.3 per cent and Democrats for Strong Bulgaria 2.1 per cent.

The poll found that 63 per cent of Bulgarians believe that the RB cannot continue as a successful political project in their current format. This view is even shared by a third of respondents who said they would have voted for the RB in late-2016 elections.

One in four respondents say that Bulgaria needs a new Centre-Right project.

Krassimir Karakachanov of the IMRO and RB leader Radan Kanev are each named by 9 per cent of the respondents as the politicians associated with voters' expectations for emergence of a strong Right-wing alternative of the present government.

BSP leader Kornelia Ninova, former President and Socialist party leader Georgi Purvanov, President-elect Rumen Radev, ABV's Ivaylo Kalfin, former BSP ranking member and now National Ombudsman Maya Manolova and Movement 21 leader Tatyana Doncheva are associated with a possible Left-wing alternative to the present government.

Just over one in five Bulgarians is disappointed with the party he or she supports.

In the Bulgarians' perceptions, three parties have broadened their influence after the late-2016 presidential elections: the United Patriots (55 per cent of respondents believe they gained electoral clout), the party of Vesselin Mareshki (42 per cent) and BSP (39 per cent).

Close to one in five Bulgarians are willing to vote for a new party.

Immediately after the announcement by former Justice Minister Hristo Ivanov that he was creating a new political party, Yes, Bulgaria, approval for him was measured at 14 per cent.

The clear departure of Democrats for Strong Bulgaria and its leader Radan Kanev from the Reformist Bloc works in their favour and Kanev's approval is 15 per cent, according to Exacta.

Eleven per cent of respondents view favourably a possible alliance of the formations of Radan Kanev and Hristo Ivanov. 28 per cent view it negatively and over 60 per cent have no opinion.

As much as 44 per cent of Bulgarians feel they are not represented in the present Parliament and 41 per cent feel represented.

No leader of a political party has approval ratings that is higher than the disapproval. BSP's Kornelia Ninova has 27 per cent approval (more than her party's), Krassimir Karakachanov 35 per cent and Georgi Purvanov 25 per cent.

Outgoing Prime Minister and GERB leader Boyko Borissov tops the party leaders' ratings with approval at 43 per cent and disapproval at 49 per cent.

The recent presidential elections lowered Borissov's approval by some 5 per cent - by as much as GERB's fringe electorate has contracted.

The areas in which Bulgarians feel an improvement in the last year of GERB's government are transport, absorption of EU funding, tourism, regional development and sport. The areas where respondents see the most tangible worsening are health care, living standards, social policy and education.

Seventy-seven per cent of Bulgarians are happy with Bulgaria's membership of the EU and 13 per cent disapprove. An above-average rate of approval is reported among men, people aged 60 and younger, the highly educated, the wealthy and the voters of GERB, DSB, the RB and MRF.

According to 56 per cent of respondents, the EU institutions should exercise direct control over the Bulgarian judicial authorities.