1/5 of Bulgarians not worried about terrorist threat: survey

A fifth of Bulgarians are not worried about a possible terrorist attack, and two-thirds do not intend to change their way of life based on a terrorist threat, according to a survey released on Monday.

The nationally-representative survey, conducted by the Alpha Research agency, shows that 52 percent of Bulgarians are of the opinion that the danger for Bulgaria is the same as for France and other European countries.

Meanwhile, 28 percent of respondents, mainly older people and those that live in border areas, think that the threat to their country is even higher, because Bulgaria is an external border of the European Union, the survey shows.

The remaining 20 percent, mostly young and middle-aged people, believe that Bulgaria is relatively more protected because the country is not a priority target for terrorists, the survey said.

"In spite of the concerns, the majority of people, 67 percent, do not intend to change anything in their daily behavior and habits," Alpha Research said.

However, between 17 percent and 20 percent of Bulgarians intend to limit their visits to places where many people gather such as stadiums, concerts, theaters, or those with a high concentration of foreigners.

In addition, six percent of those who have planned a trip abroad will cancel it, and one percent of Bulgarians could change their plans to study in Europe, the survey shows.

Bulgaria is located on the southeastern part of the Balkan Peninsula, on the most direct route to refugee flows from Turkey to Central Europe, and shares a 259 km border with Turkey and 493 km with Greece. Endit