Socialist PASOK party has apparently entrenched itself into second place behind the ruling New Democracy (ND) party, as results of another opinion poll confirmed on Thursday evening.
Center-right ND enjoys a comfortable lead, now over PASOK, while the main opposition party, leftist SYRIZA, continues to collapse – at least according to the polls.
Results of the MRB firm poll, presented by the Athens-based Open channel, show ND as favored by 28.4% of respondents in the specific poll, compared to 15.8% for PASOK – a result coming days before the first round of an internal leadership election in the once formidable Greek political formation. The figures are extrapolated from the results, and of valid answers.
The right-of-center and Eurosceptic Elliniki Lysi (Greek Solution) party finds itself in double-digit “territory” in the latest poll, pooling 10.8%. The Communist Party (KKE) follows with 10%, while leftist SYRIZA drops to 9.7%. The latter will also hold a leadership election next month, while its downward trend risks yet another splintering of the party into rival factions and the possibility of one disgruntled group of cadres departing to form another party or join another.
Incumbent Nikos Androulakis leads in the PASOK race (26.4%), with Athens Mayor Haris Doukas figuring in second place (24.7%).
The first round of the PASOK race comes on Sunday, with a second round, if necessary, in a week.
