ATHENS: Greece’s radical leftist Syriza party would beat Prime Minister Antonis Samaras’ New Democracy party if an election were held now, but its lead has slipped, an opinion poll showed yesterday.
Syriza is deeply opposed to an international bailout that has allowed Greece to avoid a debt default in return for a package of tough austerity measures and economic reform.
A Metron Analysis survey for Parapolitika newspaper said support for Syriza was running at 32.9 percent against 26.1 percent for New Democracy and 4.7 percent for the Socialist PASOK party, which is in Samaras’ coalition government.
A previous October 6-8 poll showed backing for Syriza at 34.1 percent, while New Democracy was at 26.2 percent. Most recent surveys have suggested that if elections were held now, there would be no outright winner.
The latest survey was carried out after Samaras won an October 10 confidence vote in parliament that he had called in an effort to quell talk of early elections.
However, many political analysts believe Samaras will not be able to garner sufficient backing early next year when parliament has to vote for a new president.
Yesterday’s poll said about 60 percent of those questioned believed Samaras would not secure enough votes for his presidential nominee, while half said they were against snap elections.
reuters
