Bulgarian Socialists retained their leading position in public opinion polls ahead of next month's MEP vote in the country, but the gap to second-placed GERB party has shrunk drastically, according to a survey by pollsters Alfa Research.
Socialist support continued to fall and reached 17% in April, compared to 20,1% a month earlier, the poll carried by business daily Dnevnik showed.
The party's supporters are losing their motivation to vote because of the ineffective social and economic policies of the Socialist-led cabinet, Alfa Research noted.
In the same period, centre-right GERB of Sofia mayor Boyko Borisov maintained its upward trend, rising 13,9% from 12,3% in March.
The ethnic Turk Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) ranks third with an estimated support of 6,7%, down from 8,6%. Ultra-nationalist Ataka (Attack) party are fourth with 5,6%, down from 6,5%.
The figures would translate into six MEP seats for Socialists, five for GERB, three for MRF and two for Ataka.
The remaining two seats would go centre-right Simeon II National Movement and Union of Democratic Forces, which would win one seat apiece.
But the figures could change drastically before the end of the electoral campaign, which kicked off officially on Friday, because growing disaffection of Bulgarian voters with the political system.
Only 27% of the survey's respondents are determined to vote, while 46,1% of the 1,016 interviewees said they had no intention to take part in the election.