Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ New Democracy party remains comfortably ahead in Greece’s first post-summer opinion poll, while support for Alexis Tsipras’ ELA.S. party has slipped and backing for Maria Karystianou’s party has fallen sharply.
The Interview poll for Politic put New Democracy at 26.5%, compared with 14.5% for ELA.S., widening the governing party’s lead to 12 percentage points from 11 in July. PASOK remained third at 10%, followed by the Hellenic Solution at 9%.
The Communist Party of Greece ranked fifth at 6.1%. Karystianou’s Elpida party fell to 3.6%, from 5.3% in the previous survey.
Voice of Reason stood at 3.1%, Plefsi Eleftherias at 2.9%, MeRA25 at 2.8% and Syriza at 2%.
Undecided voters rose to 10.6% from 9%, while 6% selected “other party.” Together, those groups represent 16.6% of respondents, underscoring continued volatility in Greek politics.
Mr. Mitsotakis remained the leading choice for who is best suited to govern, with 29.3%. “No one” ranked second at 19.2%, followed by Tsipras at 13.4%, Hellenic Solution leader Kyriakos Velopoulos at 11.4% and PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis at 8.5%.
The survey found 51% favor holding elections immediately, compared with 46% who want the government to complete its term. Yet 60% said they want a government formed after a single election, while 32% preferred a second vote if needed.
Only 18% considered Tsipras’ claim that ELA.S. could finish first in a second election realistic.
A potential party led by former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras attracted 12% who said they would be very or fairly likely to vote for it, while 20% did not rule it out.
Public sentiment remained sour: 65% said Greece was moving in the wrong direction, and 68% expressed little or no optimism about their lives over the next six months.