Former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is signaling a powerful political comeback, directly challenging Pasok's leadership and deepening the rift in Greece’s center-left opposition, according to a new Marc poll for ANT1 television.
While the ruling center-right New Democracy (ND) party maintains a commanding 16.5-point lead in vote estimation (30.5%), the poll's key findings center on the opposition's turmoil.
Mr.Tsipras, who recently resigned from parliament amid speculation of launching a new political movement, now outstrips the current Pasok leader, Nikos Androulakis, as the preferred representative of the center-left.
In a direct matchup for prime minister, Mr. Tsipras polls at 24.3%, easily besting Androulakis' 11.3%.
The results are a blow to Pasok, the official main opposition, which is a distant second to ND at 14%. An overwhelming 74.8% of the public view Pasok's opposition performance negatively.
Meanwhile, the former prime minister’s old party, Syriza, trails with 7% in vote estimation.
The poll shows widespread voter dissatisfaction with the government (63.7% negative rating), driven primarily by concerns over soaring inflation (cited by 67.7% as the top issue).
However, the fragmented opposition is failing to capitalize on this discontent, leaving ND firmly in power.
The rising popularity of Mr. Tsipras adds another layer of instability to the Greek political landscape.