Bergara is Montevideo’s worst-rated mayor since 2006, while 44% say the city has worsened under the Broad Front

Mario Bergara has become Montevideo’s worst-rated mayor in two decades, according to a Cifra poll obtained by El País. Only 27% of residents approved of his administration in August, a result comparable to, and technically one point below, the rating recorded by Ana Olivera in 2011.

The figure follows a difficult period for Bergara, despite a recent nine-point drop in disapproval reported by Equipos Consultores. Cifra’s survey also suggests that the mayor’s rating reflects more than his individual performance. It is partly shaped by how Montevideo residents judge decades of Broad Front administrations in the capital.

Approval stood at 51% when Ricardo Ehrlich governed in 2006, then declined to 28% in 2011 under Olivera. It recovered to 52% in 2015, during Daniel Martínez’s administration, and reached a 20-year high of 55% in 2021 under Carolina Cosse.

The downward trend began during Cosse’s later period. Approval fell to 51% in 2023, shortly before she left the mayor’s office to launch her presidential campaign, and dropped to 39% after Mauricio Zunino took over. Bergara’s arrival in 2025 brought only a slight recovery. His approval then fell to 29% in February 2026, rose to 34% in June, and reached 27% in August.

The survey also found weak support within the Broad Front’s own electorate. Four in 10 Montevideo Broad Front voters approved of the current city administration, while 34% disapproved. The results add to an already challenging political picture for Bergara and President Yamandú Orsi’s government, which has also faced difficult polling despite a slight improvement in presidential approval.