Poll puts ND way ahead of SYRIZA, shows discontent

Eight in 10 Greeks have a negative view of the achievements of the leftist-led government over the past two years, according to a new opinion poll carried out by the University of Macedonia on behalf of Skai TV which puts New Democracy a record 16.5 percentage points ahead of leftist SYRIZA.

According to the survey, if snap elections were held now, ND would garner 33 percent of the vote compared to just 16.5 percent for SYRIZA. Neo-Nazi Golden Dawn would retain third place, netting 7.5 percent of the vote, the Communist Party would bolster its share to 7 percent and PASOK would get 6.5 percent. The Union of Centrists would garner 2 percent while the rightwing Independent Greeks, SYRIZA’s current coalition partner, would get just 1.5 percent, way below the 3 percent threshold for entering Parliament, as would centrist Potami.

Nearly nine in 10 respondents (87.5 percent) said they believed things were moving in the wrong direction, with 81 percent expressing a negative view of the government’s achievements since it rose to power in 2015 (the corresponding rate among SYRIZA supporters was 62 percent).

Asked whether they believed that an NDled government would differ much from a SYRIZA administration, just over half (52 percent) said they believed not.

As for the current government’s approach in bailout negotiations, the same proportion (52 percent), said they thought it was wrong, 34.5 percent deemed that it was not steady and just 7.5 percent regarded it as correct. The majority (78.5 percent) said they believed the negotiations will end in more austerity measures for Greeks, with just 6.5 percent saying they thought no more additional reforms would be needed.

In the event of an impasse, a third (34 percent) said they favored the formation of a unity government, with 33.5 percent saying that the government should quit and call snap elections, 13.5 percent backing the continuation of negotiations and 11.5 percent favoring a referendum.