The rising cost of living, such as increasing food and energy prices, is the most pressing worry for 96 per cent of Bulgarians, according to a poll by Eurobarometer, the results of which were released on January 12.
In second place was poverty and social exclusion (named by 86 per cent of those polled) and in third place, the spread of the war in Ukraine to other countries (85 per cent).
With more than one answer possible in the poll, other concerns were the risk of nuclear incident (80 per cent), the spread of infectious diseases such as Covid-19 and monkeypox (73 per cent), migration (72 per cent), climate change (69 per cent) and the risk to common European values such as freedom and democracy (65 per cent).
Eurobarometer’s poll found that in every EU country, more than seven in 10 respondents were worried about the rising cost of living, with peak results in Greece (100 per cent), Cyprus (99 per cent), Italy and Portugal (both 98 per cent).
The rising prices, including for energy and food, are felt across all socio-demographic categories such as gender or age as well as all educational and socio-professional backgrounds.
The second most mentioned worry with 82 per cent is the threat of poverty and social exclusion, followed by climate change and the spread of the war in Ukraine to other countries equal in third place with 81 per cent.
Citizens expect the EU to continue working on solutions to mitigate the compounding effects of the consecutive crises that have hit the continent.
High support for the EU is based on the experience of past years, with the EU demonstrating a remarkable capacity to unite and to deploy effective measures.
For now, citizens are not satisfied by the actions taken either at national or at EU level. Only a third of Europeans express satisfaction with measures taken by their national governments or the EU to tackle the rising cost of living.
In Bulgaria, the poll found that 76 per cent were not satisfied with measures taken by the government to tackle the rising cost of living, while 21 per cent said that they were satisfied.
Eurobarometer said that in Bulgaria, the poll was done between October 12 and 25, through face-to-face interviews with 1033 people.
Source: Sofia Globe
