Bulgaria: Changing the National Holiday from March 3 to May 24 has almost No Support

Support in principle for legal reforms, but no particular familiarity, reluctance to reduce the powers of presidents, almost no support for changing the national holiday or for tolerating dual citizenship in power - this is what the latest Gallup International Balkan study in Bulgaria points to.

The first comprehensive published survey of public opinion on proposed constitutional changes predictably shows low familiarity with a significant portion of the ideas being discussed, Gallup sociologists said in a summary of the survey's findings.

However, several public instincts stand out, Gallup noted: headwinds for judicial changes, opposition to ideas to reduce presidential prerogatives, and a lack of understanding regarding changing the national holiday or regarding ideas such as affirming the possibility of dual citizenship in passive suffrage.

At this stage, the data is more like hypotheses, because there seems to be a lack of detailed discussion and familiarity, and we are in the summer period, which does not imply high levels of interest in politics, notes Gallup.

Impressive is the higher level of conviction when it comes to changes related to citizen empowerment or judicial reforms, and higher levels of hesitation and denial when it comes to reducing presidential powers.

It is likely that the current popularity of the president has an impact, and it should also be taken into account that the topics related to judicial reform have been pushed for years against the background of already low levels of trust in the judicial system.

The popular thesis to change the national holiday is facing serious resistance. Ideas for more toleration of dual citizenship in political institutions are apparently also met with instinctive...