Market Links poll: Support for Borissov’s GERB-UDF drops, Peevski’s unpopularity at record high
Were Bulgaria to hold parliamentary elections now, Boiko Borissov’s GERB-UDF coalition – holder of the mandate to govern – would get 17 per cent support among those who would vote, according to a poll by the Market Links agency, the results of which were released on December 11.
Support for GERB-UDF has dropped by five per cent in the past month, Market Links’s Dobromir Zhivkov told bTV.
In second place is the current largest opposition group, We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria, with 14.7 per cent, an increase in its support by more than a percentage point.
Third is opposition pro-Russian party Vuzrazhdane, with 9.3 per cent, and fourth is the Movement for Rights and Freedoms – New Beginning, led by Magnitsky Act-sanctioned Delyan Peevski, with 9.1 per cent. Support for Vuzrazhdane is stable with that for Peevski’s party has dropped by four per cent since the previous poll.
Fifth is populist-nationalist Mech with 5.3 per cent and sixth the Bulgarian Socialist Party – United Left with 4.7 per cent.
Three parties currently in Parliament were found by the Market Links poll to be below the threshold of four per cent of valid votes to be eligible for a share of seats in the National Assembly.
Populist-nationalist Velichie had 2.6 per cent, populist ITN 2.2 per cent and the Ahmed Dogan loyalists of the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms 1.2 per cent.
Seventy-one per cent of those polled support the current protests against the government, 16 per cent are opposed and 13 per cent undecided.
The poll results emerged the morning after the latest protest against the ruling majority drew many tens of thousands across Bulgaria and abroad in support of it, and a few hours before the National Assembly is due to vote on the sixth motion of no confidence in the Rossen Zhelyakov government.
Zhivkov told bTV: “Bulgarian society knows exactly what it is protesting about. It is protesting against the system of government, against this model, against the Budget. It wants the Cabinet to resign and is protesting against the leaders of this coalition”.
He said that supporters of the BSP and ITN – minority partners in the current government – backed the protests.
Of all those polled, 56 per cent want the government to resign.
The poll found that since taking office in January, the government’s approval rating had dropped by close to 10 points, to a current 18 per cent, with a disapproval rating of 58 per cent.
Zhivkov said that it appeared that approval for political figures associated with the government was in decline.
Borissov had an approval rating of 20 per cent and a disapproval rating of 68 per cent (his highest ever), Peevski – whose party is not directly in government but backs it – has a record-high disapproval rating of 81 per cent and an approval rating of 10 per cent, BSP leader Atanas Zаfirov a disapproval rating of 62 per cent and an approval rating of eight per cent, and ITN leader Slavi Trifonov a disapproval rating of 70 per cent and an approval rating of 11 per cent.
WCC party leader Assen Vassilev has an approval rating of 18 per cent and a disapproval rating of 64 per cent, Yes Bulgaria (part of WCC-DB) co-leader Ivailo Mirchev 16 per cent approval and 50 per cent disapproval and Yes Bulgaria co-leader Bozhidar Bozhanov 12 per cent approval and 62 per cent disapproval.
Vuzrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov has an approval rating of 20 per cent and a disapproval rating of 57 per cent.
The only public figure with a positive rating remains head of state President Roumen Radev, with an approval rating of 45 per cent and a disapproval rating of 31 per cent.
The 51st National Assembly has a disapproval rating of 70 per cent and an approval rating of 12 per cent.
The national poll, jointly funded and carried out by bTV and Market Links, was done among 1009 people over 18 in Bulgaria between December 3 and 7 using direct personal interviews and an online survey.
(Photo: MRF)
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