Approval of Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev fell to 50% in July from 53% in June and 56% in May, while disapproval rose to 33% from 28% and 22% over the same months, a Market Links poll published on July 23 found.

The slide points to the fading of the mandate Radev won on a promise to break up entrenched political networks, in a country that held seven elections between 2021 and 2024 before his government took office in May. His Progressive Bulgaria party retains a commanding lead despite the drop.

Government approval declined to 42% from 45% in June and 50% on taking office, with disapproval rising to 35% from 30% and 24%.

Market Links manager Dobromir Zhivkov said the decline was becoming entrenched. "This no longer looks like a random outburst, but like a trend that has persisted for the second consecutive month and may prove difficult to reverse," he told bTV.

He attributed the fall primarily to dissatisfaction with the domestic agenda, including criticism of the proposed 2026 budget and limited progress on political pledges. "Expectations were extremely high and the failure to respond adequately led to a reversal," Zhivkov said.

The pledge to dismantle entrenched political networks had faded from view, he said, while high-profile Interior Ministry actions had not convinced voters that broader institutional reform was under way.

Zhivkov also pointed to inconsistent positions on Russia, Ukraine and the deployment of US aircraft to Bezmer air base, saying the government appeared to be reacting to events rather than following a defined strategy.

The share of respondents who believed the government was trying to restore order fell to 35% from 41%. Those describing the cabinet as unprepared rose to 23% from 21%, while 13% said it represented the old political model under a new face, up from 11%. A further 21% said the government had made mistakes but it was too early to judge.

Progressive Bulgaria would take 39% of decided voters, broadly unchanged from 39.1%. Change Continues-Democratic Bulgaria moved into second place on 14.3%, ahead of the GERB-UDF alliance on 12.7%. The Movement for Rights and Freedoms, led by US-sanctioned politician Delyan Peevski, stood at 4.2% and Vuzrazhdane at 3.6%.

Radev remains the country's most trusted political figure, according to the survey.

The poll, conducted with bTV, surveyed 1,002 adults between July 11 and July 19, combining face-to-face and online interviews.