Most Bulgarians are convinced that the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was directly caused by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime, leading to increased negative perceptions of Putin and Russia, a national poll published on Wednesday by Bulgarian consultancy Alpha Research found.
According to the new poll, 58% of Bulgarians believe that the actions of those in power in Russia have led to the physical elimination of the last remaining significant opposition to the Putin regime — a trend that can be seen among voters, except supporters of the radical pro-Russian Vazrazhdane party, most of whom do not believe that the Kremlin is responsible for Navalny’s death.
At the same time, 20% of Bulgarians said that they did not believe that Putin had caused Navalny’s death, while 22% were unsure, the poll added.
Respondents were also asked about the upcoming elections in Russia, with a majority of 55% saying they will not be fair or free. Again, there was no such majority among Navalny voters — 18% believe elections will be fair, while 27% remain unsure.
The survey found that the war in Ukraine continues to be a frequent topic of discussion among Bulgarians, with almost two-thirds saying they have discussed it with their loved ones in recent weeks.
Russia’s aggression is also a reason for serious concern among the majority of Bulgarians (58%), who fear attempts are being made to weaken the EU and NATO, of which Bulgaria is a member.
Attitudes towards Putin’s regime, already largely negative since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, have worsened following Navalny’s death, with the poll showing that 62% of respondents disapprove of Putin, while only 20% view him favourably.
“Despite the political scandals and crises in Bulgaria, the events related to governance in Russia help us realise that Bulgaria has travelled a long civilisational path in parliamentary democracy,” Alpha Research commented.
“Our belonging to the EU and NATO is a prerequisite for economic prosperity, sharing values and security guarantees,” the polling agency added.
According to various polls, around 30% of Bulgarian citizens currently sympathise with Russia, whereas Putin’s approval rating surpassed 60% before the war.
The war in Ukraine has severely polarised public opinion in the country, which is particularly vulnerable to Russian disinformation campaigns on social media.
(Krassen Nikolov | Euractiv.bg)
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