Logar takes lead in presidential opinion poll

Ljubljana – Anže Logar, the former foreign minister, has taken the lead ahead of the 23 October presidential election in the latest poll commissioned by the newspapers Dnevnik and Večer, however, lawyer Nataša Pirc Musar is still projected to win a run-off against him or any other rival. This time the poll includes a larger number of candidates.

Logar, an MP for the opposition Democratic Party (SDS), polled at 30.2% in the latest poll, up by two percentage points compared with the July poll.

He is now 2.7 points ahead of Pirc Musar, who lost 2.6 points to 27.5%. Marta Kos, the former diplomat who will run for the ruling party Freedom Movement, polled at 16.3% this time, down 3.1 points.

Ivo Vajgl, another former diplomat and former MEP who announced his intention to run earlier this month, placed fourth in his first appearance in the poll. He was backed by 5.2% of those questioned.

Dnevnik comments that Vajgl’s joining the presidential campaign would likely further disperse votes among the electorate that is outside the SDS’s reach, which it says represents more than two-thirds of all voters.

Kočevje Mayor Vladimir Prebilič polled at 4.5% this time, up 0.7 points from the previous poll. Dnevnik comments that Vajgl and Prebelič took away almost 10% from the left-leaning candidates, including Pirc Musar and Kos, and allowed Logar to make it to the top this time.

However, the poll also projects that unlike Kos, Pirc Musar would be able to defeat Logar in the run-off.

Asked who they would support between Logar and Pirc Musar, 46.7% opted for Pirc Musar and 39.7% for Logar, with the ratio the month before standing at 50.1% to 40.2% in favour of Pirc Musar.

In a run-off between Logar and Kos, Logar would win 42.4% and Kos 39.5%. The month before the ratio was 42% to 41.8% in favour of Kos.

In a run-off with Kos, Pirc Musar is favoured by 44.2% of those questioned against 28.5% who opted for Kos, which is slightly better showing for Pirc Musar yet than the month before.

The poll also showed a slight improvement in the voter approval rating for the government with the proportion of those approving of its job rising by 3.7 points to 55.5% as the share of opponents fell by 1.9 points to 30.6%.

The Freedom Movement of PM Robert Golob remains on top among parties, having gained 0.7 points from July to 33.8% as the opposition SDS 1.5 points to 23.7%.

The opposition New Slovenia (NSi) in third added 0.2 points to 8.1% as the junior coalition parties lost as much each: the Left is now on 4.9% and the Social Democrats (SD) on 5.3%.

President Borut Pahor continues as the most popular politician ahead of PM Golob and NSi MEP Ljudmila Novak. Health Minister Danijel Bešič Loredan is in 4th and Logar in 5th.

The poll was conducted by Ninamedia between 8 and 10 August among 700 respondents.

The post Logar takes lead in presidential opinion poll appeared first on Slovenia Times.

Continue reading on: