Bulgarians place corruption as first among the problems in the country, shows a nationwide representative survey conducted by the MBMD polling agency between February 21 and 26 among 1,204 Bulgarians aged 18 or over.

According to 26 per cent of respondents, corruption is the biggest problem nowadays, followed by low income - according to 23 per cent of those polled, and 15 per cent each are most worried about bad governance of the country and unemployment. These are followed by high prices and inflation (9 per cent), crime (6 per cent), lack of lawfulness and justice (3 per cent), health care and education (1 per cent each).

Pessimistic moods prevail in public opinion. Some 51 per cent of respondents expect that the situation in the country will worsen, while 12 per cent hold the opposite view, and 34 per cent predict that there will be no change.

President Georgi Purvanov and Sofia Mayor and GERB informal leader Boiko Borissov are the most approved politicians in February. Some 43.4 per cent of interviewees state confidence in Purvanov, and 43.1 per cent in Borissov. Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev's rating is 20.1 per cent.

Public confidence in Ataka leader Volen Siderov is 15.8 per cent, in Order, Lawfulness and Justice leader Yane Yanev 13.7 per cent, in Movement for Rights and Freedoms leader Ahmed Dogan 12 per cent, in Krassimir Karakachanov 11.7 per cent, and in National Movement for Surge and Stability leader Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha 8.6 per cent. Martin Dimitrov and Ivan Kostov have ratings at 5.5 and 5.9 per cent, respectively.

MBMD Director Miroslava Radeva said that some of the government ministers are more popular but they are not included in the politicians' ranking. Among the most approved ministers, as usual, are Culture Minister Stefan Danailov, Education and Science Minister Daniel Vulchev, European Affairs Minister Gergana Passy and Foreign Minister Ivailo Kalfin.

Public confidence in the President as an institution is 36 per cent, in the cabinet 17.3 per cent, and in Parliament 13.2 per cent. The Armed Forces receive the confidence of 41.6 per cent of respondents, the police 35.1 per cent, and the investigative magistracy, the courts and the prosecuting magistracy, respectively, 20.1 per cent, 19.9 per cent and 19 per cent.

Source: BTA