Two years after Bulgaria's accession to the European Union, 77% approve of membership, according to an opinion poll carried out by the National Public Opinion Centre (NPOC) in the period from January 28 to February 4, 2009.

The approval is highest among young people, aged up to 30 (81%), people with higher education (84%) and people of the middle class. The representatives of all political parties are unanimous that the EU membership has no alternative. Followers of the Ataka Party and the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) are more prone to skepticism.

Bulgarians' approval of EU membership has increased since the accession: from 74% in May 2006 to 77% in January 2009, NPOC said. At the same time, the number of Euroskeptics has dropped from 18.2% in May 2006 to 13.9% in January 2009.

The political analysts provide several explanations of these figures. The first involves that the real benefits of membership dominate over Euroskepticism. Besides, with a view to the relatively low confidence in the state institutions, the EU is expected to be a corrective of domestic politics. For example, the poll shows that 58% of the Bulgarians believe it is namely the EU that has played a decisive role in the successful settlement of the gas crisis.

The people, who think that the advantages of membership outnumber the disadvantages, has increased by nine per cent from March 2006 to early 2009.

In the recent months NPOC has established an increase in the share of people, who are in favor of an alternative to the incumbents. This boosts the prestige of the European institutions, moreover, that the criticism of Brussels to the government is perceived by the people as appropriate and fair, political analysts say. The society is becoming ever more sensitive towards examples of European practice, particularly, in regards to the settlement of problems of national relevance.

Source: BTA