Berlusconi's popularity dropping

ROME, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi's approval rating has sunk to a low of 37 percent while his disapproval rating has climbed to 58 percent, a poll indicates.

The IPR Marketing group's monthly survey found the Italian leader's approval and disapproval numbers at an all-time low, Italy's ANSA news agency reported Wednesday.

When he took office in May 2008, Berlusconi enjoyed an approval rating of 53 percent which climbed to a high of 62 percent the following October.

The IPR survey found Berlusconi's People of Freedom party has been overtaken by coalition partner the Northern League as the party most favored by Italian voters.

The Northern League garnered an approval rating of 33 percent compared to 29 percent for Berlusconi's party.

The IPR poll, taken Oct. 15-17, queried 1,000 resident Italian voters.

There was no information available on the error rate of the IPR poll.