Greece: ‘ND’ maintains double-digit lead in poll

Ruling New Democracy maintains a double-digit lead over leftist opposition party SYRIZA regarding people’s intention to vote if elections were to be held now, according to a new nationwide poll.

The poll by the Pulse company conducted on behalf of Skai TV also showed public dismay over the way the recent bad weather was handled, and also a rise in the popularity of the center-left Movement for Change (KINAL). 

Tellingly, KINAL leader Nikos Androulakis was adjudged by those surveyed (22%) to better represent the center ground of the political spectrum than SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras (20%), who has sought to expand his party’s appeal to this area. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was seen to represent the center by 26%, while 23% of respondents said that none of the three best expresses this part of the political spectrum.

The poll was conducted in two phases, before and after the snowstorms wreaked havoc in Attica and other parts of the country. More specifically, it was conducted between January 22-24 and 26-29, on samples of 1,504 and 1,308 people respectively.

The voter intention projections gave ND a percentage of 32.5% against 22.5% for SYRIZA, ahead of KINAL in third place with 14.5%. They were followed by communist KKE with 5.5%, the nationalistic Hellenic Solution with 4.5% and leftist MeRA25 (3%).

With regard to the state’s response to the recent bad weather, 72% of the citizens said that it did not handle it well, compared to just 7% who said they were satisfied.

The poll also highlighted the public’s concerns about the rise in costs, with most (46%) focusing on electricity bills, heating (26%) and food (9%). As for the pandemic, the majority of respondents (62%) said it is still too early to relax restrictions.

Source: ekathimerini.com