The government's approval rating is still low, at 32.5%, but this is two percentage points more than in April, suggests the poll released by POP TV on Sunday. However, the overwhelming majority, almost 60%, still disapprove of the government's work.

Even though the government's ratings rose, the coalition parties bar the Citizens' List (DLVG), which gained just over a point to 4%, lost ground.

The senior coalition Democrats (SDS) were down almost three points to 18.7%, the People's party (SLS) dropped almost two points to 4.2%, the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) edged 0.5 points lower to 1.5% and the New Slovenia (NSi) lost 0.8 points to 1.7%.

The lost votes were picked up by the Positive Slovenia (PS), which surged more than six points to 20.5% to top the party rankings once again. The Social Democrats (SD) were flat at 13.8%.

The undecided block remained virtually level at 14.6%, while the share of those who would not vote for any of the listed parties actually dropped almost two points to 18.4%.

The public ambivalence about austerity measures is also evident in the politicians' popularity rankings.

Finance Minister Janez Šušteršič, the main author of the austerity measures, came from nowhere to place 6th.

Labour Minister Andrej Vizjak, the main negotiator with the unions, meanwhile dropped from the list altogether.

The chart is still topped by President Danilo Türk, whose rating rose to 3.69 from 3.56 the month before (on a 1-5 scale).

He is followed by Economy Minister Radovan Žerjav, European Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik and SD leader Borut Pahor.

Prime Minister Janez Janša is 12th, his rating having gone up from 2.62 to 2.71.

The poll, commissioned by POP TV and daily Dnevnik, was conducted by Ninamedia between 15 and 17 April and involved 700 respondents.