Study: 49.9% of Bulgarians would choose the country to remain in the EU and NATO

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SOFIA – If Bulgarians were faced with a hypothetical choice, 49.9% would choose for Bulgaria to remain part of the democratic world — the European Union and NATO. This is shown by a survey of “Gallup International Balkan”, presented on the website of the sociological agency.

Every fourth (25.5%) cannot express a preference, and 17.1% would choose another type of integration communities around Russia and China. The rest find it difficult to respond.

Among the youngest, the belief that Bulgaria’s place is in the EU and NATO exceeds 70%, while among the oldest the picture is mixed, but there too the accumulations in favor of the European path of development are most visible, sociologists point out.

Trust in the EU remains traditionally high. Between September 2023 and September 2024, an increase from 54.2% to 59.5% is observed. Distrust in the EU decreases from 37.1% to 28.3%.

Only in one year trust in NATO has increased from 32% to 40.1%, while distrust has decreased from 53.5% to 45.4%.
The survey also shows the highest trust among Bulgarians in Germany – 49.9%, followed by Hungary (41%), France – with 38.9%, and the United Kingdom – 37.3%.

There is anew decline in trust in Russia after the attack on Ukraine. Trust in Russia has fallen to 30%, and distrust in this country has steadily increased since 2021, reaching 52%.
Trust in the USA is within the usual range between 26%-31%.

The survey records trust in the USA at 27.2%.
For Hungary, trust is 41%, and for China – 23.6% (with distrust at 52.4%).