Bulgaria's center-right ruling party GERB is gradually losing support but still retains its advantage over its political rivals, according to a poll conducted by Alpha Research at the end of February.

If the trend persists, the issue of GERB's coalition partner will occupy center stage in the period leading up to the parliamentary elections, the pollsters argue.

Alfa Research's poll, conducted among a national representative sample of 1015 respondents in the period February 22-29, shows that newly-formed organizations and associations are still not seen as a real political alternative by the voters.

Meglena Kuneva, former EU Commissioner and founder of the Bulgaria for Citizens movement, boasts an approval rating of 26%, which places her among the three most trusted politicians in the country after Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and former President Georgi Parvanov.

The score of Bulgaria's current EU Commissioner, Kristalina Georgieva, (57% positive, 13% negative, 30% neutral) and current President Rosen Plevneliev (43% positive, 16% negative, 41% neutral) have been presented in a separate category from the approval ratings of politicians.

Alpha Research notes that Kuneva's approval rating indicates a significant electoral potential which, however, still remains under question.

Some 10% of the respondents say they are interested in the Bulgaria for Citizens movement, but only 2% have a firm intention to vote for it.

The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) has increased its base of supporters by 1% to 17%, the pollsters say, adding that the approval rating of the party could spike or plummet, depending on the outcome of the leadership battle.

Georgi Parvanov , who was head of state for two terms in office and is said to be once again eyeing the post of BSP Chair, retains a confidence level of 33%, but the past few months also bring a slight improvement in the approval rating of the current BSP Chair Sergey Stanishev from 17% to 20%.

According to Alpha Research, the two alleged contenders for the post of BSP Chair have a relatively equal impact on the adherents of the left-wing party, but Stanishev, who is failing to make good use of the fact that he is Chair of the Party of European Socialists (PES), faces stronger criticism than Parvanov.

The electoral potential of the ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) party and the confidence level of its leader Ahmed Dogan remain at the traditional level of 5% of the voters.

The right-wing Blue Coalition retains its position with 2.9% of support and the confidence in the Co-Chairs, Martin Dimitrov and Ivan Kostov, is 7% and 6% respectively.

Public approval of nationalist party Ataka and its leader Volen Siderov continues to subside, with 1.9% support for Ataka and 4% support for Siderov.

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