Ruling New Democracy (ND) party retains a commanding lead over opposition parties in the latest opinion poll results collected by the Metron Analysis firm and presented on Thursday during the prime-time newscast of Athens-based Mega Channel.
Center-right ND is given 30.9% of poll respondents’ preference, up slightly from 30.5% garnered during the same firm’s survey last month.
The figures are based on specific responses and not extrapolated.
The highlight of this month’s Metron Analysis survey, however, is the continued downward spiral of once formidable SYRIZA party, which fell to third place in terms of voters’ preferences. The leftist party remains the main opposition in Greece’s Parliament, having come in a distant second to ND in last June’s general election.
SYRIZA is given 10.1% in this month’s poll, behind socialist PASOK, which pooled 11.4 % (down from 12.2 % in November).
The Communist Party (KKE) is fourth with 8.2, down from 9.2% it fielded last month.
Meanwhile, the newest political party in the country to be represented in Parliament, the SYRIZA splinter group “New Left”, debuted in the poll results with an anemic 2%.
SYRIZA’s slide has been uninterrupted since the resignation of former prime minister Alexis Tsipras and the election of previously US-based newcomer Stefanos Kasselakis to its helm last September. The departure of 11 deputies from the party, the subsequent founders of New Left party, along with numerous cadres exacerbated SYRIZA’s fortunes.
Indicatively, 37% of poll respondents in September 2023 said they could vote for SYRIZA, whereas the same figure in the December 2023 dropped to 26%. Moreover, 73% of respondents said they would not vote for SYRIZA under any circumstances.
In terms of political party leaders, Prime Minister and New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis was positively viewed by 47% of respondents, followed by KKE general secretary Dimitris Koutsoubas with 44%. PASOK party leader Nikos Androulakis is third with 40% positive views.
Conversely, Kasselakis was positively viewed by 23% of respondents, compared to 71% negative views.
