Gallup: Radev Government Records 42% Approval after First 100 Days in Office

There has been no significant change in public support for Bulgaria’s main political parties during the first 100 days since the formation of Prime Minister Rumen Radev’s government. This is according to a survey by Gallup International Balkan, financed with the agency’s own funds and conducted between 24 July and 4 August 2026.

'Progressive Bulgaria' has maintained the strong support it received in the most recent parliamentary elections, as well as its substantial lead over the second-largest political force, GERB-UDF. Public confidence in the institutions of the Presidency and the government remains high, while trust in Parliament has also increased. At the same time, the survey indicates growing public criticism of the government’s foreign policy, although this criticism is not consolidated and stems from a variety of reasons and motivations.

The main findings of the nationally representative Gallup International Balkan survey are as follows:

A total of 52% of respondents expressed a critical view of the foreign policy pursued by Rumen Radev’s government. Of these, 33.5% said the government had failed to strike the necessary balance between its foreign commitments and domestic public opinion, while 18.5% believed Bulgaria was sending contradictory signals to its allies and international partners.

Strict adherence to commitments to the European Union and NATO was identified as the defining feature of the government’s policy by 16.7% of respondents, while 15% highlighted its firm defence of national interests and sovereignty. A notable indication of the perceived lack of a clear foreign policy profile is the high proportion of respondents – 15% – who answered “Don’t know”.

The National Assembly has traditionally recorded low levels of public confidence in recent years. However, after the current parliament was formed, trust has improved compared with the previous period. Some 20.2% of respondents said they trusted the institution, while 57.5% expressed distrust.

The President remains the highest-rated public figure in the country, with an approval rating of 48.4% and a disapproval rating of 30.2%, giving a positive net rating of +18.2 percentage points.

Prime Minister Rumen Radev’s government also enjoys solid public support, with 42% approval compared with 33.6% disapproval, resulting in a positive net rating of +8.4 percentage points. However, nearly a quarter of respondents (24.4%) said they had not yet formed an opinion.

If parliamentary elections were held now, 'Progressive Bulgaria' would once again confirm its success in the previous general election, securing 42.3% of the vote and an outright parliamentary majority in terms of seat allocation. At this stage, no significant changes are observed in electoral support for the other political parties, which continue to trail by a considerable margin.

GERB-UDF remains the second-largest political force with 12%. Continue the Change ranks third with 7.6%, followed closely by the DPS with 7% and Democratic Bulgaria with 6.3%. Compared with the April election results, Vazrazhdane has recorded a slight increase to 4.8%, while the BSP stands at 3.5%.

Among political figures, President Iliyana Yotova enjoys the highest level of public trust, at 48.4%, against a comparatively low distrust rating of 29.2%. She is followed by Prime Minister and Progressive Bulgaria leader Rumen Radev, who records 43.2% trust compared with 38.7% distrust.

The survey was conducted through telephone interviews with a nationally representative sample of 821 Bulgarian citizens aged 18 and over.