Bulgaria's Ruling GERB Still ahead of Opposition - Poll

Bulgaria's ruling centrist-right GERB party is approved by some 24.5% of the population and is still the most popular political formation in the country, according to a poll conducted by the National Center for Study of Public Opinion.

However, the pollsters have noted that GERB has lost some 2% of its supporters since September.

The left-wing Bulgarian Socialist Party enjoys the support of 19% of the Bulgarians surveyed, or 1.5% more than in September.

The ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms is approved by 6.4% and is closely followed by newly-formed Bulgaria for Citizens of former EU Commissioner Meglena Kuneva (6.2%).

The right-wing Blue Coalition is backed by some 3.6%, which is close to the 4% threshold necessary for a political formation to enter the Parliament in the 2013 elections. However, the parties within the coalition are likely to run separately in the elections.

According to Gallup International, the difference in the support for Bulgaria's ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB, and the opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, is now just 3%.