The share of Bulgarians dissatisfied with Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev and his government had increased by nine percentage points, to 59 per cent, at the end of September 2007, compared to a month earlier, Bulgarian polling agency Alpha Research said, as quoted on Angus Reid Global Monitor web site on October 30.

Alpha Research interviewed 1010 Bulgarians in September.

After the parliamentary elections in June 2005, Bulgaria had been ruled by a three-party coalition, consisting of the Bulgarian Socialist Party and its partners (united in the so-called Coalition for Bulgaria), the Movement for Rights and Freedoms and the National Movement Simeon II (recently renamed to National Movement for Stability and Progress). Despite becoming more unpopular lately, the coalition had remained strong after Bulgaria joined the European Union in the beginning of 2007.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet on October 23 survived a vote of no-confidence filed by the opposition in the National Assembly over the incumbents’ policy on education spending and development. The failed motion was amidst a month-long teacher strike, and was the the third vote attempting to bring down Stanishev’s government since it took office in August 2005, Angus Reid Global Monitor said.