Balkan Voters to Choose Centrist MEPs over Populists: Survey

The European Parliament building in Strsbourg. Photo: EPA-EFE/PATRICK SEEGER

Voters in the Balkans will mainly choose MEPs from the centre-right European People's Party, EPP and the centre-left Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, S&D at the Europe-wide elections in May, despite the fact that anti-EU parties are gaining ground across the continent, suggested a European Parliament survey published on Monday.

The report, compiled by the Kantar Public social research unit, projects an overall, pan-European decline in the support for the centrist EPP, S&D and the conservative European Conservative and Reformist group in a smaller, post-Brexit parliament, which will have 46 fewer seats after Britain's projected departure from the bloc.

At the same time, the survey suggests, the Europe of Nations and Freedom group, comprising various anti-EU right-wing parties, is projected to be the biggest winner, potentially earning 59 seats in the 705-seat legislature - up from its current 37.

But this trend is not expected to be followed in the three Balkan states in the EU - Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania. In all three countries, domestic centrist parties are expected to maintain their dominance, the report suggests.

In Bulgaria there are expectations of a slight shift to the left, with the Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, projected to win two additional seats on top of its current four, while the ruling GERB party could gain one and move up to eight seats. This could see two nationalist MEPs, Angel Dzhambazki and Nikolay Barekvo, who are currently part of the European Conservative and Reformist group.

The Movement for Rights and Freedoms, MRF, part of Bulgaria's liberal ALDE alliance, is projected to lose two seats, while the...